North Korea has rejected South Korea’s renewed efforts to discuss denuclearization, calling the idea a “pipedream” and reaffirming its stance as a permanent nuclear weapons state.
In a statement issued on October 31, Pak Myong Ho, vice minister of foreign affairs for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), criticized remarks from a South Korean presidential spokesperson, who said that the issue of denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula would be discussed at an upcoming China–South Korea summit.
“The ROK talks about the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula whenever an opportunity presents itself,” Pak said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea. “The ROK is still unaware that struggling to deny the DPRK’s position as a nuclear weapons state and talking about its daydream of realizing the denuclearization just reveal its lack of common sense.”
Pak added that Pyongyang would continue to demonstrate that such efforts are futile. “We will show with patience that denuclearization is a ‘pipedream’ which can never be realized even if it talks about it a thousand times,” he said.
The statement highlights Pyongyang’s continuing defiance amid growing international pressure over its expanding nuclear and missile programs. North Korea has repeatedly declared its nuclear status as irreversible, insisting that its weapons serve as a deterrent against what it calls U.S. and South Korean “hostile policies.”
The comments also come ahead of regional diplomatic efforts to address tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with both Seoul and Beijing signaling the need for dialogue. However, North Korea’s latest remarks indicate that the prospect of any meaningful discussion on denuclearization remains distant.
