Kim Yo Jong Reaffirms North Korea's Nuclear Status Ahead of Xi's 7-Year Return
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 6
Kim Yo Jong Reaffirms North Korea's Nuclear Status Ahead of Xi's 7-Year Return
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 6
Summary
Kim Yo Jong said North Korea will never retreat from its nuclear-armed status, calling the policy of strengthening its deterrent “irreversible” and warning it would not tolerate threats.
Her statement came a day before Xi Jinping’s planned Monday visit to Pyongyang — his first in nearly seven years — and directly rejected U.S. claims that Xi and Donald Trump had reaffirmed a denuclearization goal in May.
North Korea has already signaled a harder line this week by unveiling a new nuclear-material production factory, where Kim Jong Un called for an “exponential” expansion of the atomic arsenal.
Pyongyang is also scaling up conventional arms output: Kim recently ordered missile production capacity raised 2.5 times over the next five years.
Analysts said the nuclear and missile moves appear designed to strengthen North Korea’s leverage before the Xi-Kim summit as Beijing seeks closer ties with its treaty ally.
With Russia offering military tech, can China's summit rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions?
Has North Korea successfully played Russia against China to secure its nuclear future?
Xi Jinping’s June 2026 Pyongyang Visit: Strategic Realignment and North Korea’s Nuclear Brinkmanship
Overview
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to North Korea on June 8-9, 2026, marks his first trip there in nearly seven years and comes at a critical time. Since the collapse of Kim Jong Un’s diplomacy with the US in 2019, North Korea has declared itself an 'irreversible' nuclear state and intensified its nuclear program. With Kim Yo Jong stating that North Korea’s nuclear status is 'absolutely non-negotiable,' Pyongyang aims to remove denuclearization from talks before Xi’s arrival. This visit highlights China’s key role as North Korea’s main supporter amid ongoing international tensions and sanctions.