Addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday, the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea gave a muscular defence of his country's stance on nuclear weapons, also highlighting strides towards economic development.
Kim Son Gyong began his speech by commending the opening address of UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 23 September where he said that no State can address global issues alone and promising UN reform.
While Mr. Kim recognised the role of the UN in promoting multilateral cooperation to address poverty, disease and sustainable development, he said that the organization also faced "unprecedented severe crises" - which he blamed on "highhandedness and arbitrariness and avarice of hegemonic powers."
"The UN cannot be represented by a certain individual state or a small group of states," he stated.
Developing countries deserve a bigger say
He went on to suggest that the UN "expand and strengthen the representation of developing countries that take up an absolute majority of the UN membership and to correct the Western-led inappropriate structure in the Security Council ."
The North Korean minister noted the alliance between the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea saying it could "rapidly evolve into a more offensive and aggressive military bloc."
It was only because of his country's powerful military deterrent that "the will of the enemy states to provoke a war is thoroughly contained."
Mr. Kim said nuclear weapons were now enshrined in North Korea's constitution as a "sacred and absolute thing that can never be touched upon and tampered with."
Imposing denuclearization on the state "is tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty," he added.
"We will never give up nuclear which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence," he stressed.
Economy of self-reliance
Mr. Kim announced that as part of the effort to develop a self-reliant national economy and to meet output targets, the completion of a five-year economic plan is "definitely within reach."
He said 50,000 new houses are being built in Pyongyang while a new rural development policy was yielding "tangible results."
The vice-minister called on Israel to end its genocide and "crimes against humanity" in Gaza and withdraw from the enclave.
"The DPRK will promote multifaceted exchanges and cooperation with the countries that respect and take friendly approaches towards it," he concluded.
