North Korea Rejects Denuclearization as “Pipe Dream” Ahead of Xi–Lee Summit

North Korea unleashed a scathing rebuke on Saturday, declaring any talk of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula an "unrealizable pipe dream" that exposes South Korea's "lack of common sense." The blistering statement, carried by state-run KCNA, came just hours before a high-stakes summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Gyeongju. Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho vowed Pyongyang would "patiently prove" denuclearization is impossible, effectively torching Seoul's agenda before the leaders even sat down.

The diplomatic broadside underscores North Korea's ironclad refusal to abandon its nuclear arsenal, which it frames as an existential deterrent against U.S. hostility. Analysts say the timing is deliberate: by preemptively mocking denuclearization, Kim Jong Un's regime seeks to undermine South Korea's push for Chinese mediation and signal that only direct U.S. concessions—such as sanctions relief or security guarantees—could shift the calculus. KCNA's use of "ROK" and "DPRK" in the same sentence drips with contempt, reminding the world that Pyongyang views Seoul as a puppet of Washington.

Saturday's Xi-Lee meeting was billed by Seoul as a chance to align on pressuring North Korea back to talks, with denuclearization explicitly on the table. Yet Beijing has long prioritized stability over disarmament, wary of a collapsed North Korean regime on its border. Experts predict Xi will offer vague calls for "dialogue" while dodging firm commitments, leaving Lee empty-handed. South Korea's progressive government has staked prestige on reviving inter-Korean engagement, but Pyongyang's nuclear advances—including a record 2024 missile barrage—have rendered such hopes increasingly delusional.

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Behind the rhetoric lies a grim reality: North Korea's nuclear program is more entrenched than ever, with estimates of 50–70 warheads and growing delivery capabilities. Recent satellite imagery reveals expanded uranium enrichment facilities, while Kim Jong Un has enshrined nuclear status in the constitution. Defectors report internal propaganda now celebrates the bomb as the "treasure sword" of sovereignty. Any summit outcome that ignores this irreversibility risks irrelevance—or worse, escalation if Pyongyang stages another provocation to punctuate its point.

As APEC leaders pose for photos in Gyeongju's ancient temples, the Korean Peninsula's nuclear shadow looms larger than ever. South Korea clings to diplomacy, China plays the long game, and North Korea laughs last—brandishing warheads that no handshake can wish away. The pipe dream, it seems, belongs to everyone but Kim.

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