DPRK dismisses denuclearization as South Korean 'pipe dream'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: KCNA
1 Nov 2025 10:48

DPRK's foreign ministry slams South Korea’s calls for denuclearization as delusional, asserting Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear-armed state.

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Transporter erector launchers (TELs) carrying hypersonic weapons drive through during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party, in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on October 10, 2025 (KCNA via AP)

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said that denuclearization is a "pipe dream", stressing that no matter how many times the process is demanded, it will remain unattainable.

Pak Myong-ho, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, issued a statement on Friday bashing remarks made by the spokesperson for the South Korean Presidential Office.

The comments made at the APEC 2025 Korea summit, which saw the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, asserted that Lee will discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with his Chinese counterpart.

"The ROK (Republic of Korea/South Korea) is still unaware that struggling to deny the DPRK's position as a nuclear weapons state and talking about its daydream of realizing the denuclearization just reveals its lack of common sense," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) underlined, citing Pak.

"The ROK is attempting to bring up the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula whenever it gets the chance," a statement by Pak highlighted.

"No matter how many times it keeps repeating the denuclearization refrain, we will patiently demonstrate that it is an unattainable 'pipe dream,'" the Korean diplomat underlined.

DPRK tests new hypersonic weapon

A few days before the APEC summit, the DPRK confirmed that it tested a "cutting-edge" hypersonic missile system, marking its first such launch in several months.

According to KCNA, the missile test aimed to enhance the "sustainability and effectiveness of strategic deterrence against potential enemies," and the launch was confirmed by South Korea’s military, which detected the activity on Wednesday.

Pak Jong Chon, a top military official, hailed the test as proof of the country’s ongoing advancements in self-defense capabilities. "The new cutting-edge weapon system is clear proof of steadily upgrading self-defensive technical capabilities of the DPRK," KCNA quoted him as saying.

While DPRK leader Kim Jong Un did not attend the launch, state media said two "hypersonic projectiles" were launched from south of Pyongyang and struck a designated target in the country's northeast.