Kim’s Sister Rejects Denuclearization, Signals Relentless Nuclear Expansion Ahead of Xi Visit
Seoul- North Korea’s senior official Kim Yo Jong on Sunday dismissed renewed U.S. calls for the country’s denuclearization as an “anachronistic dream,” reaffirming Pyongyang’s commitment to expanding its nuclear arsenal ahead of a closely watched visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected Washington’s longstanding objective of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and said North Korea’s status as a nuclear weapons state could not be altered by what she described as unilateral U.S. rhetoric.
Her comments came one day before Xi is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang for talks with Kim Jong Un, marking the Chinese leader’s first visit to North Korea since 2019 and highlighting Beijing’s efforts to reinforce ties with its isolated neighbor amid shifting regional dynamics.
“The U.S. assertion to backbite the status of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state has no legally binding force,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name. She also dismissed as “false information” a recent U.S. announcement that President Donald Trump and Xi had reaffirmed a shared commitment to North Korea’s denuclearization during a summit in Beijing last month.
The remarks underscore Pyongyang’s increasingly entrenched position on nuclear weapons since negotiations between Kim Jong Un and Trump collapsed in 2019 without an agreement on sanctions relief and disarmament measures.
Since then, North Korea has accelerated efforts to strengthen its nuclear and missile capabilities. During a visit last week to a newly established nuclear materials production facility, Kim Jong Un said the country would expand its nuclear forces at an “exponential rate.” State media reported Sunday that he also visited a weapons factory a day earlier and ordered a 2.5-fold increase in missile production capacity under the current five-year development plan.
Kim Yo Jong accused the United States and South Korea of pursuing continuous military buildups, arguing that North Korea’s policy of strengthening its nuclear deterrent was a defensive necessity and an irreversible strategic decision.
Security analysts say Xi’s visit is expected to focus on restoring China’s influence over North Korea at a time when Pyongyang has deepened its political and military cooperation with Russia. Observers expect Beijing to prioritize economic cooperation and regional stability while avoiding direct pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.
North Korea has emerged as a significant supporter of Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, supplying troops and conventional weapons, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. In return, Pyongyang is believed to have received economic support and other forms of assistance from Moscow, further strengthening ties between the two countries.
The latest exchange highlights the growing gap between Washington’s denuclearization objectives and Pyongyang’s declared intention to expand its strategic weapons capabilities, a divide that continues to complicate diplomatic efforts on the Korean Peninsula.
