By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Son Gyong on Monday addressed the UN General Assembly high level session in New York and defended his country’s stance on nuclear weapons, also highlighted progress towards economic development.
Kim Son Gyong commended the opening address of UN head Antonio Guterres where he said that no State can address global issues alone and promising UN reform, he stated in his remarks.
He recognized the role of the UN in promoting multilateral cooperation to address poverty, disease and sustainable development, he said that the organization also faced “unprecedented severe crises” which he blamed on “highhandedness and arbitrariness and avarice of hegemonic powers.”
“The UN cannot be represented by a certain individual state or a small group of states,” he stated.
He suggested that the UN “expand and strengthen the representation of developing countries that take up an absolute majority of the UN membership and to correct the Western-led inappropriate structure in the Security Council.”
Foreign minister noted the alliance between the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea stated it could “rapidly evolve into a more offensive and aggressive military bloc.”
He said that it was only because of his country’s powerful military deterrent that “the will of the enemy states to provoke a war is thoroughly contained.”
Mr. Kim said nuclear weapons were now enshrined in North Korea’s constitution as a “sacred and absolute thing that can never be touched upon and tampered with.”
He added that by imposing denuclearization on the state “is tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty,”.
“We will never give up nuclear which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence,” he stressed.
Mr. Kim announced that as part of the effort to develop a self-reliant national economy and to meet output targets, the completion of a five-year economic plan is “definitely within reach.”
He said 50,000 new houses are being built in Pyongyang while a new rural development policy was yielding “tangible results.”
Mr. Kim called on Israel to end its genocide and “crimes against humanity” in Gaza and withdraw from the enclave.
“The DPRK will promote multifaceted exchanges and cooperation with the countries that respect and take friendly approaches towards it,” he concluded.
