North Korea says it’s not bound to any treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

North Korea said it is not bound to any treaty on ‌non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.

Kim Song, North Korea’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said in a statement that the US and several other countries are “tarnishing the atmosphere” at the 11th NPT review conference held at UN headquarters by raising concerns about North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

The 11th Review Conference of parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is underway in New York City, bringing diplomats together amid heightened concerns over nuclear risks and strategic competition.

“The position of the DPRK (North Korea) as a nuclear weapons state does not change in accordance with rhetorical assertion or unilateral desire of outsiders. Clarifying once again, the DPRK is not bound by the NPT in any case,” Kim said.

“The NPT review conference, which should contribute to the international issue of nuclear disarmament and the solution of the root cause of the danger of nuclear conflict, loses its original mission and turns into a place of malicious accusation against the sovereign states according to the sinister political attempt of the U.S. and Western forces. This is the fundamental reason why the global non-proliferation system is weakening,” Kim added.