Daydreams: North Korea Shatters Its Neighbor’s Hopes for Denuclearization
North Korea has dashed South Korea’s hopes for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, describing the idea as an “unrealistic dream” and mere “delusions.”
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang said that the issue of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula — which Seoul announced would be discussed during a summit with China on Saturday — was nothing but a “pipe dream.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
The South Korean presidential office announced on Friday that the two leaders would discuss, among other topics, the denuclearization of the peninsula.
“The Republic of Korea (South Korea) still fails to understand that its desperate efforts to deny the status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) as a nuclear state, and its daydreams of achieving denuclearization, only reveal its lack of common sense,” the KCNA stated.
Deputy Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho added in a statement quoted by the agency: “We will patiently demonstrate that denuclearization is nothing but a dream that will never come true.”
Last week, North Korea successfully tested a “newly developed advanced weapon system” featuring hypersonic projectiles, as part of a defense program aimed at strengthening its strategic deterrence against enemies.
At the time, the KCNA reported that two hypersonic missiles had been launched from an area near Pyongyang and had struck a target in the country’s northeast.
The last time North Korea launched ballistic missiles was on May 8, when it fired several short-range missiles from its eastern coast.
Over the past decade, the nuclear-armed state has steadily expanded its missile capabilities, defying multiple United Nations sanctions. It has conducted tests of long-range ballistic missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland if launched on an appropriate trajectory.
Earlier this month, North Korea showcased its latest intercontinental ballistic missiles during a military parade attended by the Chinese Premier.
