North Korea criticizes the US and its allies’ “absurd” vow to denuclearize

North Korea’s foreign ministry, according to official media KCNA, stated Tuesday that it will continue to strengthen its nuclear arsenal, criticizing a recent joint vow by the US, South Korea, and Japan to denuclearize the country.

On the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met on Saturday. In a statement, they reaffirmed their commitment to North Korea’s full denuclearization.

Accusing the nations of following a “outdated, absurd” strategy, Pyongyang’s foreign ministry cautioned against looking for what it described as “foolish acts inciting collective hostility and conflicts.”

In a statement carried by KCNA, an unidentified ministry spokesperson said, “The DPRK’s nukes are means for defending peace and sovereignty and a means for legitimate self-defense entrusted by the state constitution as long as the U.S. and its vassal forces’ hostile threat exists.” The ministry also vowed to keep bolstering its nuclear force.

The official name of North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was the subject of the spokesperson’s reference.

The foreign ministry of South Korea urged the North to halt its illegal weapons program and resume its disarmament efforts.

“North Korea will never be recognized as a nuclear weapons state,” expressed Lee Jae-woong, the ministry’s spokeswoman, at a briefing. “We hope that they will realize that the development of nuclear weapons and missiles will only hinder their own security and economic development.”

Following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has praised their personal connection and had historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, the three-way meeting was their first.

The National Intelligence Service informed South Korean MPs, who have stated that Pyongyang’s latest missile tests were partly aimed at “showing off its U.S. deterrent assets and drawing Trump’s attention.”

The Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missile (KTSSM), a newly built bunker buster missile, was also deployed in Seoul, according to a statement released by the South Korean military on Tuesday.

The military said in a press release that the missile, known by the nickname Ure, which translates to “thunder” in Korean, can launch simultaneous, accurate strikes against North Korea’s long-range artillery systems that, in the event of an emergency, could pose a threat to the greater Seoul area.