North Korea declared Tuesday that "the denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will never, ever happen," responding to the Quad — a four-nation security consultative body comprising the United States, Japan, Australia, and India — emphasizing its commitment to "North Korea's denuclearization."
A spokesperson for North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the statement in the form of a response to a question from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), saying the country was "making this clear once again."
The Quad foreign ministers held a ministerial meeting in New Delhi, India, on Sunday and issued a joint statement reaffirming "their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea."
In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back, saying the statement "not only severely distorted the immediate and urgent challenges and threats facing Asia-Pacific countries, but also nakedly exposed hostile intent targeting specific countries."
It further criticized that "taking issue with our country's legitimate exercise of sovereign rights and bringing up so-called denuclearization proves that the Quad is nothing more than a political and diplomatic tool serving the United States' strategy to realize unipolar dominance."
The ministry added, "We resolutely condemn and reject the Quad's incitement of hostile positions against our country and other regional nations, and strongly demand that it no longer pursue bloc confrontation schemes that destroy peace and stability in the region."
