What did North Korea say about the South Korea-US defense talks on countering WMD threats?

A North Korean defense ministry spokesperson denounced the talks as an open declaration of confrontation. The statement said the allies were preparing for the use of nuclear and biochemical weapons against the DPRK in a contingency on the Korean peninsula.

When were the South Korea-US defense talks on North Korea’s WMD response held?

The talks were held last Thursday, while North Korea’s denunciation was reported on Wednesday. KCNA said the allies agreed to establish a system to share information on North Korea’s WMD during that meeting.

N. Korea blasts S. Korea-US defense talks on WMD response

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Summary

North Korea on Wednesday denounced South Korea-US defense talks held last Thursday on ways to counter Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction. The North’s defense ministry said the allies agreed to build a system to share information on the North’s WMD. It called the move an open declaration of confrontation and warned that it could trigger the relevant provision of North Korea’s nuclear force policy law. The law, adopted in 2022, sets conditions for nuclear use when a nuclear or WMD attack is judged imminent.

Key Facts

The defense talks were held last Thursday, and North Korea’s reaction was reported on Wednesday.
The allies agreed to establish a system to share information on North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction.
North Korea’s defense ministry said the talks could be seen as a grave security challenge and urged the United States to interpret its warning correctly.
North Korea’s law on nuclear forces policy was adopted in 2022 and outlines conditions for nuclear weapon use, including when a nuclear or WMD attack is judged imminent.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 16, 2026 8:44 pm KST

This file photo, released by the Korean Central News Agency, Sept. 10, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un standing behind the podium during a national founding day ceremony the previous day. Yonhap

North Korea on Wednesday denounced defense talks between South Korea and the United States last week on ways to counter Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction (WMD), state media reported.

A spokesperson for the North's defense ministry blasted the talks held last Thursday, where the allies agreed to establish a system to share information on the North's WMD, according to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"This is an open declaration of confrontation to make the use of nuclear and biochemical weapons against the DPRK in case of contingency on the Korean peninsula a fait accompli," the spokesperson said in a statement released by the KCNA.

DPRK stands for North Korea's official name — the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"Such a threat of WMD attack and use by the enemy against the DPRK may be considered a crucial security challenge that requires the latter to invoke the relevant provision of the law on the state nuclear force policy," the spokesperson said.

"I recommend that the U.S. correctly interprets the meaning of the invoking of the relevant provision and accepts it as a grave warning."

North Korea's law on nuclear forces policy, adopted in 2022, outlines the conditions for nuclear weapon use, including when a nuclear or WMD attack is judged to be imminent.

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