North Korea has issued an ultimatum: recognize us as a nuclear power, or remain silent

 

Kim Yo Jong

North Korea has once again loudly declared its ambitions: the United States must officially recognize it as a nuclear—weapon state, otherwise there will be no negotiations. Such a harsh message came not from Kim Jong Un himself, but from his influential sister Kim Yo Jong, who has long been one of the key figures in the regime and often makes harsh statements on behalf of the country's leadership.

According to her, any attempts by Washington to return to negotiations on denuclearization will now be perceived in Pyongyang as a "gross mockery" and a "mockery of reality." This is a direct signal: North Korea already considers itself a nuclear power, and it does not intend to retreat.

In recent years, North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests, including intercontinental (ICBM) missiles capable of reaching the United States. It has also repeatedly demonstrated nuclear warheads and even announced the consolidation of the status of a nuclear power in the constitution. Now it requires international recognition.

This is an extremely uncomfortable situation for the United States. Recognizing the DPRK as a nuclear Power means undermining the global system of non—proliferation of weapons. But ignoring it risks escalation, especially against the backdrop of North Korea's strengthening ties with Russia and China.

So Kim Yo Jong's statement is not just rhetoric. This is an attempt to rewrite the rules of the game: instead of asking for a seat at the negotiating table, Pyongyang demands to sit down as an equal, with a nuclear bomb in his pocket.