Seoul

North Korea on Thursday rejected the Quad nations’ call for complete denuclearisation and declared it would never abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

 The response came after foreign ministers of India, Australia, Japan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea’s denuclearisation during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi earlier this week.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, North Korea’s foreign ministry criticised the Quad statement and accused the grouping of interfering in its internal affairs. Pyongyang described the Quad as a political and diplomatic tool supporting American dominance in global affairs.

A spokesperson for North Korea’s foreign ministry said there would “never, ever” be denuclearisation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The ministry also rejected what it called the “hostile stance” of the US-led Quad and urged the group to stop actions that could damage regional peace and stability.

The criticism followed the Quad joint statement released on Tuesday, where the ministers urged North Korea to follow all obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions. The statement also condemned Pyongyang’s development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

The Quad ministers expressed concern over North Korea’s cyber activities, which they said help fund illegal weapons and missile programmes. They further called on all United Nations member states to fully implement sanctions related to North Korea, including restrictions on arms transfers.

The statement also raised concerns over countries increasing military cooperation with North Korea, saying such actions weaken global non-proliferation efforts. The ministers additionally stressed the need for immediate resolution of the long-standing abduction issue involving foreign nationals.