North Korea stated that its nuclear program is not a subject for negotiations but a tool to be used against its enemies who violate the sovereignty of the country.
“Pyongyang reiterated its intention to continue developing its nuclear arsenal just hours after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea,” according to a Japanese summary of the meeting between the two leaders in Washington.
North Korea emphasized that its nuclear weapons should not be presented for recognition or used as “a reason for financial gain,” according to a statement from the state-controlled news agency KCNA.
The statement further added that “the purpose of the country’s nuclear arsenal is to fight any invasion attempt by ‘hostile forces’ that threaten the sovereignty of the country and regional peace.”
In a press conference after his meeting with Ishiba, Trump praised his strong relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“We are going to have relations with North Korea… I got along very well with Kim, as you know,” said Trump, referring to his first term when he met Kim personally three times.
“We had a good relationship, and I think it’s a great asset for everyone that I get along well with him,” Trump continued.
“I get along with him, he understands me, and that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump added.
During his first term in office, Trump followed an unconventional policy towards North Korea, moving from threats to direct diplomacy with Kim.
The two leaders met three times: initially in Singapore, later in Hanoi, and finally at the demarcation line between North and South Korea in June 2019.
Despite these efforts, no agreement was reached on the denuclearization of North Korea.
