State media claimed on Friday (Sep 9) that North Korea has enacted a law establishing its nuclear weapons policies, a move that the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, described as making its nuclear status "irreversible" and prohibiting any negotiations on denuclearization.
According to the official news agency KCNA, the Supreme People's Assembly, the North's parliament, approved the bill on Thursday.
The move follows reports that North Korea is reportedly getting ready to restart nuclear testing for the first time since 2017, following historic summits with then-US President Donald Trump and other top world leaders in 2018. The summits were unsuccessful in persuading Kim to give up his development of nuclear weapons.
"The utmost significance of legislating nuclear weapons policy is to draw an irretrievable line so that there can be no bargaining over our nuclear weapons," Kim reportedly said in an address to the Supreme People's Assembly.
As reported by KCNA, the law also forbids the transfer of any nuclear technology or weapons to foreign nations.
The new law goes beyond the declaration that North Korea is a nuclear weapons state made in its constitution by defining the circumstances under which nuclear weapons may be employed, such as to defend against or repel an invasion. Additionally, if an impending use of WMDs or an attack on the nation's "strategic targets" is discovered, it permits preemptive nuclear strikes.
According to a delegate at the assembly, the law will work as a strong legal assurance for North Korea to maintain its status as a nuclear weapons state and guarantee the "transparent, consistent, and standard character" of its nuclear policy.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has stated its willingness to speak with Kim at any time and any location, while South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated that his nation would offer substantial economic assistance if Pyongyang started to give up its arsenal.
However, North Korea has rejected those offers, claiming that the United States and its allies continue to pursue "hostile policies" including sanctions and military exercises that contradict its efforts to promote peace.
However, North Korea has rejected those offers, claiming that the United States and its allies continue to pursue "hostile policies" including sanctions and military exercises that contradict its efforts to promote peace.
"As long as nuclear weapons remain on earth and imperialism remains and maneuvers of the United States and its followers against our republic are not terminated, our work to strengthen nuclear force will not cease," Kim said.
