A spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said US and South Korean efforts to strengthen nuclear cooperation against Pyongyang would not change the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state.

“The ‘denuclearization’ is an irreversibly finalized matter,” the statement carried by state media KCNA said.

The remarks came after US and South Korean officials held talks in Seoul under the Nuclear Consultative Group, where they discussed strengthening nuclear deterrence and military readiness in response to North Korea’s expanding weapons program.

Washington and Seoul have repeatedly called for the dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, while Pyongyang has insisted that its nuclear capabilities are necessary for national security.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have continued to rise as North Korea expands missile testing and deepens military cooperation with Russia.