(2nd LD) N.K. leader’s sister says Pyongyang’s nuclear status ‘irreversible’

(ATTN: CHANGES lead; UPDATES with comments from English-version of statement, more info, minor edits throughout)

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said her country’s status as a nuclear-armed state is absolutely irreversible, calling it a “line of no retreat” and vowing not to tolerate any threats against it, the North’s state media reported Sunday.

Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in which she reiterated Pyongyang’s position that its nuclear weapons program is nonnegotiable while rejecting international efforts aimed at denuclearization.

“The DPRK’s status as a nuclear weapons state is the line of no retreat, and it is a stark reality whether anyone recognizes it or not,” said the statement released Saturday, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Her remarks came a day ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s scheduled visit to Pyongyang, apparently aimed at underscoring that Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program is not subject to discussions between Xi and Kim Jong-un.

With Xi set to travel to Pyongyang, a U.S. State Department spokesperson on Friday highlighted that U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi had reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea during their summit in Beijing last month.

Kim Yo-jong, who serves as a department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, dismissed the U.S. official’s comments, accusing Washington of “spreading false information,” while urging the U.S. to give up its “daydream” about denuclearization.

She also suggested Pyongyang had received a direct explanation from Beijing regarding the discussions between Trump and Xi, saying, “We have the most accurate information about the fact.”

The statement also reiterated North Korea’s justification for continuing to strengthen its military capabilities, citing what it called persistent military threats from hostile countries, including Washington’s recent approval of a potential sale of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs and related equipment to South Korea.

“This is the reason why we are concentrating on bolstering up the self-defense capacity for defending the security of the state from the ceaseless arms buildup of the hostile countries, and we will have to do this,” Kim said.

Underscoring the legality of its nuclear forces under the constitution, Kim pointed to nuclear capability as the most powerful logic in the dispute with “those who worship power,” adding the North will never tolerate or compromise with regard to its sovereignty and security.