Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and one of Pyongyang's most powerful officials, condemned the G7's call for denuclearization as a violation of North Korea's constitution and national sovereignty, according to state media outlet KCNA.

Her statement came one day after G7 leaders issued a joint communique at their Evian-les-Bains summit, reaffirming their commitment to complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

Key facts from the KCNA statement:

  • Kim described denuclearization as a "line of no retreat that can never be crossed".
  • She called North Korea's nuclear possession its "core interest" and an "irreversible line".
  • She warned that any attempt to hurt North Korea's core interests would be "inviting disaster".

G7 Summit Statement Triggers Pyongyang's Sharpest Rebuttal in Years

The G7 leaders, representing the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy, addressed North Korean nuclear and missile programs in their broader statement covering Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Ukraine concerns following their Paris-area meeting.

North Korea has pursued nuclear development for decades despite multiple rounds of international sanctions and UN resolutions demanding denuclearization. Pyongyang has consistently framed its weapons program as a necessary deterrent against perceived threats from the United States and its allies.

Kim's language is significant because it is not framed as a temporary rebuttal or a bargaining position intended to soften future negotiations. It is a direct declaration that North Korea treats its nuclear arsenal as settled national policy.

What This Means for Korean Peninsula Diplomacy

The statement reiterates Pyongyang's longstanding position that nuclear capabilities are a permanent element of its national security strategy. North Korea has repeatedly rejected denuclearization talks in recent years and has strengthened its legal and constitutional framework governing nuclear weapons.

By declaring its nuclear status irreversible, North Korea is signaling that future diplomacy will not center on disarmament but on coexistence as a nuclear state, further reducing already limited prospects for renewed negotiations on the Korean Peninsula.