North Korea on Tuesday vowed to expand its nuclear forces under Kim Jong Un and criticized the U.S. and its neighbors in Asia for pushing a denuclearization plan against the authoritarian regime.
North Korea’s foreign ministry denounced the joint pledge between the U.S., South Korea and Japan as an ‘outdated, absurd plan’ and warned of ‘overwhelming and decisive counteraction’ against its rivals who threaten its security.
‘As long as the U.S. and its vassal forces’ hostile threat exists, the DPRK’s nukes are means for defending peace and sovereignty and a means for legitimate self-defense entrusted by the constitution of the state,’ an unnamed ministry spokesperson said in a statement picked up by the North’s Korean Central News Agency, Reuters reported.
The criticism comes after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met during a security conference in Germany and reaffirmed their commitment to the Hermit Kingdom’s ‘complete denuclearization’ and maintaining sanctions on the country’s weapons program.
The countries also agreed to bolster defense and deterrence, including by expanding three-way military exercises and strengthening Japan and South Korea’s military capabilities, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.
President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House earlier this month and said the U.S. will have relations with the North Korean regime of dictator Kim Jong Un.
‘We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I get along with them very well,’ Trump told reporters alongside Ishiba.
Trump, who first met Kim in 2018 in Singapore and became the first sitting president to meet with the leader of North Korea, is looking to build off his personal diplomacy he established with Kim during his first term.
Trump met Kim again in 2019 and became the first president to step foot inside North Korean territory from the demilitarized zone.
Fox News Digital’s Chris Massaro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.