N Korean leader's sister says nuclear programme 'line of no retreat'

SEOUL, June 07 (AFP): North Korea's nuclear weapons programme is "the line of no retreat", the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un said in a statement carried by state media on Sunday ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pyongyang has long insisted on its right to nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, although they are forbidden under the terms of UN Security Council sanctions. It enshrined its nuclear status in its constitution in 2023.

"The DPRK's status as a nuclear weapons state is the line of no retreat," Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong said in the English version of a statement published by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), using the North's official name.

"We will never tolerate any threat or compromise related to our sovereignty and security," she said.

She also cited reported US weapons sales to South Korea, describing them as the "ceaseless arms buildup of the hostile countries", in justifying Pyongyang's efforts to strengthen its arsenal.

Kim Yo Jong is a key player in the North's communications and foreign policy and her statement came on the eve of Xi's visit, which, according to state media, is scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday.