North Korea says denuclearization ‘will never happen’ amid new calls by US allies

North Korea on Thursday slammed a call by the foreign ministers of the US, Australia, Japan and India for its denuclearization, saying it would never abandon its nuclear weapons program.

The four countries reiterated their commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea in a joint statement issued Tuesday after talks among top diplomats from the Quad security grouping in the Indian capital New Delhi.

An unnamed spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s denuclearization “will never happen forever,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“Quad is nothing but a political and diplomatic tool serving the US strategy for unipolar domination,” the spokesperson added.

The ministry also said it “resolutely” condemned what it described as the Quad’s hostile stance and urged the group to stop actions that undermine regional peace and stability.

The statement added that the Quad’s move to strengthen cooperation is aimed at “justifying Japan’s moves for rearmament and Australia’s possession of a nuclear submarine.”

The spokesperson said North Korea would continue defending its sovereignty and security interests and oppose what it described as exclusive alliances and bloc confrontation in the region.

Commenting on Pyongyang’s reaction, an official at South Korea’s Unification Ministry said North Korea has long viewed the Quad as a foundation for a possible Asian version of NATO and has repeatedly criticized the group.

According to Seoul, North Korea’s response this year also targeted Japan and Australia and appeared to defend China’s position, unlike a similar statement issued last year that focused mainly on criticism of the US.