North Korea Rejects Denuclearization as "Pipe Dream" Ahead of China-South Korea Summit

North Korean diplomat Pak Myong Ho made a stark declaration on Saturday, asserting that denuclearization of the Korean peninsula remains an unattainable "pipe dream," as reported by state media KCNA.

This statement emerges as Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung prepare for a crucial summit meeting on Saturday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum hosted in Gyeongju, South Korea.

According to an announcement from President Lee's office on Friday, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is slated to be a key topic of discussion between the two leaders during their talks.

The North Korean Vice Foreign Minister's statement pointedly criticized South Korea's position: "The ROK is still unaware that struggling to deny the DPRK's position as a nuclear weapons state and talking about its daydream of realizing the denuclearization just reveal its lack of common sense." The statement referenced the official names of both nations—Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

In a definitive conclusion to the announcement, KCNA quoted Pak Myong Ho as saying, "We will show with patience that denuclearization is a 'pipe dream' which can never be realized."