North Korea on Saturday dismissed the goal of denuclearisation as an “unrealisable pipe dream,” in a blunt rejection of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s latest diplomatic initiative.
The statement from Pyongyang came as President Lee was meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeongju, where he was formally requesting China’s help in advancing his “phased approach” to denuclearisation.
Lee’s plan involves a freeze on the North’s nuclear development as a first step. But North Korea, which is a close ally of China, has repeatedly rejected Lee’s overtures. Pyongyang has recently designated Seoul as its “main enemy” and abandoned its policy of unification.
President Xi’s visit, his first to South Korea in 11 years, focused on strengthening economic ties. Seven bilateral agreements were signed, and Xi called for cooperation on AI and green energy.
While Seoul stated that China was willing to cooperate for peace, Chinese state media reports on the summit made no mention of the North Korea discussions. Both sides did agree that U.S.-North Korea dialogue was the “most important” path.
North Korea Says Denuclearisation is a “Pipe Dream”
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