Seoul [South Korea], June 7 (ANI) Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to North Korea, the powerful sister of Kim Jong-un has said her country's status as a nuclear-armed state is absolutely irreversible, calling it a 'line of no retreat' and vowing not to tolerate any threats against it
'The DPRK's status as a nuclear weapons state is the line of no retreat, and it is a stark reality whether anyone recognises it or not,' said Kim Yo-jong. The remarks by Kim Yo-jong, released by North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), yesterday, were quoted by South Korea's media, Yonhap, on Sunday.
Xi is scheduled to visit North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), from June 8 to 9, and Kim Yo-Jong's remarks apparently aimed at underscoring that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program is not subject to discussions between Xi and Kim Jong-un, as per Yonhap.
The two-day State visit starting Monday marks Xi's first trip to North Korea in seven years, and comes at Kim's invitation.
Xi and Kim last met in September when Kim attended a Chinese military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day. Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present at the ceremony. Xi had last visited North Korea in 2019, becoming the first Chinese president in 14 years to travel to the country.
Kim Yo-jong, who serves as a department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, dismissed a US official's comments on Friday that highlighted that US President Donald Trump and Xi had reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearising North Korea during their summit in Beijing last month.
She accused Washington of 'spreading false information,' and urged the US to give up its 'daydream' about denuclearisation.
Kim Yo-jong has reiterated Pyongyang's position that its nuclear weapons program is non-negotiable while rejecting international efforts aimed at denuclearisation.
The influential sister of the North Korean ruler also suggested Pyongyang had received a direct explanation from Beijing regarding the discussions between US President Donald Trump and Xi during their meeting in Beijing last month, saying, 'We have the most accurate information about the fact,' as per the Yonhap report.
The announcement on Chinese leader Xi's visit to North Korea came a day after Yonhap released photos issued by KCNA reporting that Kim had visited a newly launched nuclear-material production facility earlier this week, highlighting the country's advances in producing fissile material and nuclear weapons.
Xi's visit also comes amid a strengthening of ties between Pyongyang and Moscow under a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed in 2024, which includes mutual defence commitments.
This year also marks the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.
Meanwhile, Washington and Seoul had on Tuesday discussed cooperation on South Korea's plans to build nuclear-powered submarines and secure civilian uranium-enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing capabilities. During the consultations held Tuesday and Wednesday in Seoul, the two sides discussed a timeline for follow-up talks to advance the project and agreed to cooperate closely to produce tangible results 'as quickly as possible,' Yonhap reported.
South Korea aims to develop nuclear-powered, conventionally armed attack submarines fueled by low-enriched uranium and plans to launch the first vessel in the mid-2030s, as part of efforts to address North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. (ANI)
