“I express my deep regret in connection with the above statements of the UN Secretary-General, which completely lack impartiality,” TASS quoted the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister for International Organizations Kim Sung-kyung as saying.
According to the diplomat, such rhetoric contradicts the duties of the post of Secretary General enshrined in the UN Charter, and complete denuclearization is a violation of the sovereignty of the DPRK and requires "unilateral disarmament" rejected by Pyongyang.
"North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons is an inevitable choice to protect the security of the state and people from hostile policies towards the DPRK and nuclear blackmail by the United States," Kim Sung Kyung added.
In conclusion, he demanded that Guterres contribute to resolving the issue and refrain from such statements, which "add fuel to the fire."
US President Joe Biden said earlier that the United States, South Korea, and Japan are committed to jointly embark on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that the US authorities would give a strong response to new North Korean nuclear tests.
Subsequently, the UN called for the resumption of negotiations on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.