UNITED NATIONS – In a rare appearance at the United Nations, a senior North Korean diplomat unequivocally stated on Monday that his country will not relinquish its nuclear weapons, calling them the key to maintaining a "balance of power" on the Korean Peninsula.
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| Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs for North Korea Kim Son Gyong addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) |
Speaking at the annual UN General Assembly high-level meeting, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong delivered a firm message, declaring, "We will never give up this position." The speech highlighted Pyongyang's long-standing grievances over large-scale, U.S.-led military exercises with South Korea and Japan. Citing a growing "threat of invasion," Kim described his own country's nuclear arsenal as the primary reason "the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula is being guaranteed."
While the message was resolute, the tone of the speech was notably more moderate than many of North Korea's past statements on the world stage. Kim criticized "hegemonic powers" and "indiscriminate tariff wars" in a clear reference to the United States, but refrained from personal insults or overly belligerent language. He confirmed that North Korea's nuclear program is now enshrined in its constitution.
Kim asserted that security on the Korean Peninsula "is facing more serious challenges than ever before," claiming that recent U.S.-Japan-South Korea drills "are breaking all previous records in their scale, nature, frequency, and scope." Pyongyang routinely describes such exercises as a rehearsal for an attack.
A Complex Diplomatic Backdrop
The diplomat's appearance, the first by a high-ranking North Korean official at the General Assembly since 2018, comes amid renewed speculation about a potential meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the current U.S. President.
The two leaders' predecessors met three times during 2018-2019, but talks ultimately collapsed over U.S.-led sanctions. Since then, Pyongyang has largely rejected diplomacy with Washington and Seoul. However, since the current U.S. President took office, he has repeatedly expressed hope of resuming talks with Kim. Last week, the North Korean leader stated he still had "good memories" of past summits but called on the U.S. to abandon its demand for denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy.
South Korea's Offer of Dialogue
For its part, South Korea maintains that its joint military exercises are necessary to counter the growing nuclear and missile threats from the North. Multiple UN Security Council resolutions have demanded that Pyongyang cease its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
However, in his address to the assembly last week, the South Korean President stated his new government "will begin a new journey toward peaceful coexistence and common growth on the Korean Peninsula." He added, "The first step will be to restore the fractured inter-Korean trust and move toward a position of mutual respect."
In his speech on Monday, North Korea's Kim Son Gyong did not respond to this offer.
The South Korean Foreign Minister said in an interview with the Associated Press on Friday that the President had encouraged his U.S. counterpart to act as a "peacemaker" and use his leadership to bring North Korea into talks aimed at reducing military tensions. According to the minister, the U.S. President "expressed his desire to continue cooperation with North Korea."
A Shifting Alliance and an Upcoming Summit
Speculation is now focused on the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea next month, which the U.S. President is expected to attend. Some regional observers have questioned whether a meeting with Kim Jong Un could occur during that trip.
The diplomatic maneuvering is unfolding as North Korea deepens its ties with its neighbors, China and Russia. Pyongyang has focused on expanding cooperation with Moscow, allegedly providing munitions to support its war against Ukraine.
More significantly, the leaders of North Korea and China recently held their first summit in over six years, pledging mutual support. This followed an unprecedented joint appearance by North Korea's Kim Jong Un, China's Xi Jinping, and Russia's Vladimir Putin at a large-scale military parade in Beijing. At a follow-up meeting in Beijing on Sunday, the North Korean and Chinese foreign ministers agreed to further strengthen their bilateral ties and oppose "hegemonism," a clear reference to their resistance to the United States.
