Overview
- Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong told the General Assembly that nuclear arms are enshrined as state law and a sovereign right tied to the country’s very existence.
- Kim portrayed the arsenal as a necessary deterrent against U.S.–South Korea–Japan military drills and said denuclearization demands amount to a violation of sovereignty.
- South Korea said four uranium enrichment sites, including Yongbyon, are operating with centrifuges running daily, indicating continued fissile‑material production.
- President Lee Jae Myung outlined a phased peace initiative starting with a weapons development freeze, and Seoul reiterated denuclearization as its ultimate goal after the speech.
- Pyongyang signaled willingness to engage with countries taking a respectful approach as Kim Jong Un ruled out denuclearization, while President Donald Trump has indicated he is open to renewed talks.