N. Korea's vice defense minister justifies nuclear arsenal at Chinese defense forum

North Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il defended Pyongyang’s nuclear program at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in China, calling it self-defensive. He criticized U.S.-led joint military drills near the Korean Peninsula and said North Korea would ceaselessly expand its nuclear deterrent. Kim also met his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines to discuss deeper strategic communication and military cooperation.

Kim Kang-il delivered his remarks on Thursday at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which ran in China from Tuesday to Thursday.

He said North Korea would ceaselessly expand and strengthen its self-defensive nuclear war deterrent and described the country’s nuclear status as at the point of no return.

On the sidelines of the forum, Kim met his Chinese counterpart to discuss deepening strategic communication and expanding military cooperation and development.

Published Sep 18, 2026 12:22 pm KST

North Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il, left, leaves for Beijing to attend the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China's annual defense forum, Sept. 15, in this photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the next day. Yonhap

North Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il has reaffirmed his country's nuclear program at a defense forum in China, calling it "self-defensive," Pyongyang's state media reported Friday.

Kim made the remarks Thursday in his address at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which was held in China from Tuesday to Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim criticized the United States' joint military exercises with its allies, claiming that the drills based on the assumption of nuclear weapons use were carried out publicly near the Korean Peninsula.

Insisting that such drills justified North Korea's own nuclear program, he said the North will "ceaselessly expand and strengthen our self-defensive nuclear war deterrent," while describing the country's nuclear status as at "the point of no return."

Kim also urged "enemy states" to abandon what he called their "unrealistic denuclearization delusion."

On the sidelines of the forum, he met with his Chinese counterpart to discuss deepening "strategic communication" and expanding military cooperation and development, the KCNA reported.

Launched in 2006 by the China Association for Military Science, the forum is often called China's version of Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue. This year's edition took place under the theme of "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together."

North Korea first joined the forum in 2018 and returned the following year, when Kim Hyong-ryong, then vice minister of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, led the delegation.

In the two most recent editions, military attaches from the North Korean Embassy in China reportedly attended instead amid souring bilateral relations.

North Korea's decision to send its vice defense minister to this year's forum followed a June summit in Pyongyang, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to strengthen high-level exchanges.

朝鲜国防部副相金刚一在中国北京举行的第十三届香山论坛上为平壤的核计划辩护，称其为自卫行为。他批评了美国主导的在朝鲜半岛附近举行的联合军事演习，并表示朝鲜将不断增强其核威慑力量。金刚一还在论坛间隙与中国国防部长会晤，讨论了深化战略沟通和军事合作。

金康日于周四在北京举行的第十三届香山论坛上发表了讲话，该论坛于周二至周四在中国举行。

他表示，朝鲜将不断扩大和加强其自卫性核战争威慑力量，并称该国的核地位已到无法挽回的地步。

在论坛间隙，金正恩会见了中国领导人，讨论了深化战略沟通、扩大军事合作与发展。

发布于2026年9月18日下午12:22（韩国标准时间）

朝鲜国防部副相金刚日（左）于9月15日启程前往北京，出席第十三届北京香山论坛——中国年度防务论坛。这张照片由朝中社（KCNA）于次日发布。（韩联社）

据平壤官方媒体周五报道，朝鲜国防部副部长金刚一在中国举行的国防论坛上重申了该国的核计划，称其为“自卫”计划。

据朝中社报道，金正恩周四在北京举行的第十三届香山论坛上发表了上述讲话。该论坛于周二至周四在中国举行。

金正恩批评美国与其盟友举行的联合军事演习，声称这些演习是在以使用核武器为前提的假设下，在朝鲜半岛附近公开进行的。

他坚称此类演习证明了朝鲜自身核计划的正当性，并表示朝鲜将“不断扩大和加强其自卫性核战争威慑力量”，同时称该国的核地位已“到了无法挽回的地步”。

金正恩还敦促“敌对国家”放弃他所谓的“不切实际的无核化幻想”。

据朝中社报道，在论坛间隙，他与中国同行会面，讨论深化“战略沟通”和扩大军事合作与发展。

该论坛由中国军事科学学会于2006年创办，常被誉为中国的“香格里拉对话”。今年的论坛主题是“凝聚稳定共识，携手推进安全治理”。

朝鲜于 2018 年首次参加该论坛，并在次年再次参加，当时由人民武力部副部长金亨龙率领代表团。

据报道，由于朝中双边关系恶化，最近两届会议均由朝鲜驻华大使馆武官出席。

朝鲜决定派遣国防部副部长参加今年的论坛，此前在平壤举行的6月峰会上，朝鲜领导人金正恩和中国国家主席习近平誓言要加强高层交流。