North Korea: Not Bound by Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Pyongyang. North Korea has clarified that it is not bound by any nuclear non-proliferation treaty. North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, also stated that external pressure cannot change his country's status as a nuclear-weapon state.

Ambassador Kim's statement was made public through North Korean state media on Thursday. At the ongoing Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference at the United Nations headquarters, countries including the United States are criticizing North Korea's nuclear program.

North Korea withdrew from the NPT in 2003. Since then, it has conducted six nuclear tests. Due to this, the United Nations Security Council has imposed various sanctions on it. According to analysts, North Korea currently possesses dozens of nuclear warheads.

Kim Song said that the United States and its supporting countries are raising baseless questions about North Korea's sovereign rights. He also stated that North Korea's status as a nuclear-weapon state cannot be changed by external rhetoric or unilateral desires. He reiterated that North Korea will not be bound by the nuclear non-proliferation treaty under any circumstances.

According to him, North Korea's status as a nuclear state is included in its constitution, and the principle of using nuclear weapons is also clearly mentioned. North Korea has long denied the possibility of abandoning its nuclear weapons program, describing it as an irreversible path.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that North Korea has provided military and artillery shells to Russia as aid in the war against Ukraine. In return, analysts speculate that it may be receiving military technology assistance from Moscow.