North Korea slams UN Chief over denuclearisation call; 'remarks lack impartiality'

North Korea has criticised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his statement on supporting the "denuclearisation" of Pyongyang. Kim Son-gyong, North Korea's Vice Foreign minister for international organisations, stated that recent remarks by Guterres "grossly lack impartiality and fairness," Yonhap news agency reported. Kim Son-gyong expressed "deep regret" over comments made by Guterres and called his remarks "against the obligations of his duty specified by the UN Charter. "

Kim Son-gyong emphasised that the "so-called complete, verifiable and irretrievable denuclearisation (CVID) of North Korea" called by the "US and its vassal forces" is an infringement of the sovereignty of Pyongyang. He asserted that UN Chief Antonio Guterres is aware that North Korea is totally against it. He described North Korea's nuclear programme as its "inevitable choice" to defend its security. The response of North Korea comes after Antonio Guterres affirmed the UN's commitment to "fully denuclearised North Korea". He made the remarks while meeting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul. According to AP, Guterres affirmed the UN’s “clear commitment to the full, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and DPRK."

UN Chief meets South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol

During his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Antonio Guterres said that their goal is to bring "peace, security and stability" to the region, according to AP. He also lauded Seoul's participation in the efforts for international peacekeeping and tackling climate change. Guterres landed in Seoul on Thursday where he held a meeting with Yoon Suk-yeol and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin. According to the statement released by the South Korean Foreign Ministry, Park urged for the UN's help in addressing North Korea's nuclear issue. During the talks, Guterres affirmed support for South Korea in their efforts to ensure peace in the peninsula. Notably, North Korea carried out the test of more than 30 ballistic missiles in 2022, including the intercontinental ballistic missiles. Earlier, UN Chief Antonio Guterres had condemned the launch by North Korea.

Image: AP