North korea: North Korea has rejected calls by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its denuclearization. Sister of North Korean leader, Kim Yo-jong, made the remarks in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) coinciding with the 70th regular session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria. The conference has voiced concern over North Korea's expanding nuclear capacity, urging Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

According to Qatar News Agency, Kim Yo-jong stated, "No matter how desperately the IAEA and the West may hold periodic meetings and talk about the denuclearization according to the fixed scenario, they can have no effect on the will and ability of North Korea to take all necessary measures to defend the supreme interests of the state." She emphasized that North Korea's status as a state possessing nuclear weapons is firm, absolute, and irreversible in any way, asserting that the nuclear position of North Korea has been permanently settled both physically and legally.

Kim further stated that "no one and nothing can ever reverse the crucial changes in the strength and position of the North Korea and prevent them in the future, too." The IAEA recently released its Director General's report on safeguards in North Korea, reporting an expansion of the country's uranium enrichment capacity and other nuclear facilities.