Nuclear security

North Korea Vows to Pursue Nuclear Program Despite Western Pressure

North Korea is not going to succumb to pressure of the United States and its allies and will persist in building its nuclear program, North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Kim In Ryong told the UN Security Council.

"What the Korean people came to conclusion… is that the only way out for defending their vital rights and sovereignty is to react to the nukes in kind," Ryong said on Wednesday. "No matter what others say, whatever sanctions, pressure and military attack may follow, we will not flinch from the road to build up nuclear forces which was chosen to defend the sovereignty of the country and the rights to national existence."

He argued that North Korea perceives nuclear force as guarantee for peace on the Korean peninsula while the United States is the "chief culprit" that renders the situation in the region extremely difficult, including by deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea.