Kim: North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Are Non-Negotiable; U.S. Must Drop Preconditions

Kim stated that talks with the U.S. could take place only if the precondition of denuclearization is dropped, emphasizing that North Korea will preserve its nuclear arsenal and that sanctions have, in fact, strengthened the country.

According to Rokna, citing Reuters, Kim said there is no reason to avoid talks with Washington if the U.S. ceases its insistence on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons. However, he vowed that his nuclear arsenal would never be bartered for sanctions relief.

North Korea’s state-run media, KCNA, reported Monday that Kim, in a Sunday speech before the Supreme People’s Assembly, said: “Personally, I still have good memories of U.S. President Donald Trump.”

The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term in office.

His remarks come as South Korea’s new liberal government is urging Trump to take the lead in reopening talks with Kim, six years after all peace negotiations with Pyongyang collapsed over disputes regarding sanctions and nuclear disarmament.

Kim said: “If the United States drops this meaningless obsession with our denuclearization, accepts reality, and genuinely seeks peaceful coexistence, there is no reason we should not sit down with America.”

He argued that developing nuclear weapons was vital for North Korea to defend itself against what he described as serious threats from the U.S. and South Korea, pointing to a series of allied military exercises that he claimed amounted to nuclear war drills.

Kim dismissed recent outreach efforts from Washington and Seoul as insincere, asserting that their true aim remained the weakening of North Korea and the destruction of his government. He cited South Korea’s step-by-step proposal to end Pyongyang’s nuclear program as proof of this intention.

Kim declared: “The world knows well what the U.S. does after it forces a country to abandon its nuclear weapons and disarm. We will never give up our nuclear weapons.”

He further stressed: “Never, and forever never, will there be any negotiations with the enemies over trading anything for their obsession with lifting sanctions.”

Kim said sanctions had been “an instructive experience” that made his country stronger and more resilient.

North Korea remains subject to a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing economic and arms sanctions and limiting funding for military development, yet Pyongyang has continued advancing its nuclear weapons program and developing powerful ballistic missiles.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung told Reuters that sanctions had ultimately failed to deter North Korea, which he said is adding 15 to 20 nuclear weapons to its arsenal annually.

Lee remarked: “The reality is that the previous approach of sanctions and pressure has not solved the problem but has instead worsened it.”

Since taking office in June, Lee has pursued peace efforts, saying dialogue with Pyongyang is essential and proposing steps to build trust that could ultimately end the North’s nuclear program.

Lee told Reuters that while major obstacles remain to reopening talks with North Korea, he still believes a step-by-step approach to denuclearization is the most realistic option. He added that conditions must be created to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table, with Trump playing a key role in that effort.