Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has sharply criticised ASEAN for continuing to advocate a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, describing the regional bloc’s position as “foolish” and strategically misguided.
Her remarks came after ASEAN, during its annual regional forum last week, expressed “deep concern” over North Korea’s ongoing nuclear weapons programme and reaffirmed the importance of dialogue to achieve lasting peace and stability through the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has consistently defended its right to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles despite United Nations Security Council sanctions. In 2023, Pyongyang further cemented its nuclear status by formally enshrining it in the country’s constitution.
In a statement, Kim Yo Jong accused ASEAN of openly adopting what she described as the United States’ denuclearisation agenda while ignoring North Korea’s constitutional position on its nuclear programme.
She claimed ASEAN’s continued support for denuclearisation reflected “a failure of strategic thinking and logic” and called it a “wild, foolish dream” to pursue a policy that she argued had lost both its practical and conceptual relevance.
Kim also warned ASEAN against allowing itself to become what she described as a “hired spokesperson” for the United States in matters involving the Korean Peninsula.
