North Korea rejects Washington's skepticism of its denuclearization

North Korea has said its denuclearization has been "irreversibly resolved", rejecting what it described as attempts by the United States and its allies to cast doubt on its status as a nuclear state.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying that the "absurd rhetoric" from the United States and allied countries, coupled with their cooperation in what Pyongyang has seen as a nuclear threat against it, will not affect its final status as a nuclear-weapon state.

"Nuclear disarmament is an issue that has been irreversibly resolved," the spokesman added, stressing his country's adherence to its nuclear capabilities.

Washington, Seoul anger Pyongyang

Field talks held in Seoul last week between U.S. and South Korean officials within the framework of the Nuclear Advisory Group (JG) were the direct spark for Pyongyang's decisive statement, after North Korea considered the outcome of the meeting to represent an escalation plan aimed at tightening the military and nuclear blockade on it.

 The  discussions of the Washington and Seoul Nuclear Advisory Group focused on formulating the principles of joint deterrence, by discussing mechanisms for integrating South Korea's advanced conventional capabilities with the U.S. nuclear arsenal, as well as updating military training scenarios to include simulating Pyongyang's use of nuclear weapons in future exercises, raising the readiness for an immediate response.

Discussions touched on operational planning and information exchange, by discussing the establishment of a unified command system that accelerates the exchange of sensitive intelligence data on the movements of North Korean missile platforms, in addition to developing encrypted and direct communication channels between the two military commands to ensure decision-making in moments of crisis.

The third theme of the discussions was to strengthen deterrence through the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, including the increased frequency of the emergence of nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, and B-52 strategic bombers, sending a clear message to Pyongyang that the level of U.S.-South Korean readiness is increasing.

North Korea responds by  displaying advanced missile capabilities

North Korea recently announced a series of tests of advanced tactical and conventional missiles, in a new show of its military capabilities and to confirm the readiness of deterrence systems, with  leader Kim Jong Un personally supervising these field tests, which focused on incorporating modern guidance techniques and enhancing the destructive power of warheads.

The tests included  tactical ballistic missiles with "special warheads", where short-range missiles were launched from the northern province of Pyongan towards the Yellow Sea, and the test focused on assessing the strength of the warhead designed to penetrate fortifications and target joint military bases, while Seoul monitored the missiles flying for a distance of nearly 80 kilometers before hitting their targets accurately.

Pyongyang has tested AI-guided tactical cruise missiles to hit land and sea targets enhanced with self-maneuvering capabilities to dodge air defense systems such as the Patriot and Thad, before Kim announced that these precision missiles would be deployed along areas bordering South Korea.

The tests included a third track that included multiple launch systems and 240mm guided artillery shells, equipped with a high-precision autonomous navigation system, which expanded the offensive range of conventional artillery and made it capable of targeting deep into the capital Seoul with concentrated strikes.

In parallel with the ground tests, Pyongyang has stepped up its naval tests, with Kim overseeing the launch  of Hwasal strategic cruise missiles  from aboard the domestically developed Kang Kun-class Choi Hyun-class destroyer, in a message that the country can also carry out nuclear and conventional strikes from the sea.