Kim sister declares North Korea’s nuclear status irreversible

Before Xi’s visit

Nuclear weapons: Kim’s sister makes a clear statement

Kim Yo Jong rejects US claims of a denuclearization agreement. Pyongyang demonstrates strength before the summit.

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared her country’s status as a nuclear power irreversible. At the same time, Kim Yo Jong rejected US claims about an agreement on denuclearization as “false”. The state news agency KCNA reported this on Saturday.

North Korea will not tolerate threats, Kim Yo Jong said, according to KCNA. The policy of nuclear deterrence for self-defense is irreversible. It must be implemented unconditionally. The US government claimed that Xi Jinping and Donald Trump had confirmed the goal of denuclearization at a summit in May.

• North Korea’s rulers: Want to expand nuclear weapons program

The statements are part of a series of demonstrations of power. Earlier this week, North Korea unveiled a new factory to produce nuclear materials. Kim Jong Un called for a “massive” expansion of the nuclear arsenal.

Last Sunday, during a visit to an ammunition factory, ruler Kim ordered that rocket production be increased 2.5 times in five years. This was reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap. According to analysts, the presentation of the new location is aimed at strengthening the negotiating position before the summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected in North Korea on Monday for this summit. It is his first visit to the country in almost seven years.