N. Korea blames US for 'worse crisis' in nuclear order, justifies its arsenal

North Korea on Tuesday accused the United States of pushing the global nuclear order into the worst crisis and used the claim to justify its own nuclear arsenal. The accusation came in a foreign ministry memorandum carried by KCNA hours after Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong told the U.N. General Assembly in New York that North Korea’s nuclear program is an irresistible force for protecting sovereignty and security. The memorandum said U.S. nuclear buildup, modernization, treaty withdrawals, and cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo left Pyongyang no choice but to play a more active role as a responsible nuclear-weapon state.

The memorandum said Washington had irresponsibly abandoned its disarmament obligations as a nuclear-weapon state.

North Korea cited U.S. nuclear-powered submarine cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo and AUKUS as evidence of a nuclear alliance forming in the Asia-Pacific region.

The document said such cooperation could eventually lead South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons program.

A South Korean unification ministry official said the North issued a memorandum for the first time since May last year, when its foreign ministry criticized the U.S. missile defense system.

Published Sep 29, 2026 8:57 am KST

Updated Sep 29, 2026 11:25 am KST

North Korea's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Son-gyong addresses the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Monday (local time). AP-Yonhap

North Korea on Tuesday accused the United States of driving the global nuclear order into "the worst crisis" through its "nuclear proliferation activities" and used the accusation to defend its own nuclear program.

The accusation came in a foreign ministry's "memorandum" carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), hours after Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong told the U.N. General Assembly in New York that North Korea's nuclear program is an "irresistible" force needed to protect its sovereignty and security against external threats.

Washington has "irresponsibly abandoned its disarmament obligations as a nuclear-weapon state," the memorandum said.

Its rapid buildup of nuclear forces and "blatant" nuclear proliferation, it said, left Pyongyang no choice but to "play a more active role" "as a responsible nuclear-weapon state."

The document cast the U.S. as the main culprit behind global nuclear proliferation, citing its nuclear buildup and modernization and its withdrawal from arms-control treaties.

North Korea also pointed to U.S. nuclear-powered submarine cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, and to AUKUS, a security partnership of the U.S., Britain and Australia, as evidence of a nuclear alliance taking shape in the Asia-Pacific region.

Such cooperation could eventually lead South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons programs, it claimed.

This "grave reality," it said, will guide North Korea's actions as it moves to "safeguard the security interests of our country and the region."

The memorandum was seen as an effort by North Korea to defend its nuclear weapons by stressing what it called Washington's double standard on nuclear policy and proliferation, an official at South Korea's unification ministry told reporters.

According to the official, the North issued an official statement in the form of a "memorandum" for the first time since May last year, when its foreign ministry criticized the U.S. missile defense system.

Pyongyang uses the term when addressing the historical background of a particular issue, the official explained.

朝鲜周二指责美国将全球核秩序推向最严重的危机，并以此为由为其自身的核武库辩护。朝中社援引朝鲜外务省的一份备忘录报道了这一指责。此前数小时，朝鲜外务省副相金善京在纽约联合国大会上表示，朝鲜的核计划是捍卫主权和安全的不可阻挡的力量。备忘录指出，美国的核武库建设、现代化、退出条约以及与首尔和东京的合作，迫使平壤别无选择，只能作为一个负责任的核武器国家发挥更加积极的作用。

备忘录称，华盛顿作为核武器国家，不负责任地放弃了其裁军义务。

朝鲜援引美国与首尔、东京以及AUKUS核动力潜艇的合作，作为亚太地区正在形成核联盟的证据。

文件称，这种合作最终可能导致韩国发展自己的核武器计划。

韩国统一部一名官员表示，这是朝鲜自去年5月以来首次发布备忘录，当时朝鲜外交部批评了美国的导弹防御系统。

发布于2026年9月29日上午8:57（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月29日上午11:25（韩国标准时间）

朝鲜外务省副相金善京周一（当地时间）在联合国总部向联合国大会第81届会议发表讲话。美联社-韩联社

朝鲜周二指责美国通过其“核扩散活动”将全球核秩序推入“最严重的危机”，并以此指控为其自身的核计划辩护。

朝鲜外交部发布的一份“备忘录”中提出了这一指控，该备忘录由朝鲜中央通讯社（朝中社）发布。此前数小时，朝鲜外务省副相金善京在纽约联合国大会上表示，朝鲜的核计划是保护其主权和安全免受外部威胁所必需的“不可阻挡的”力量。

备忘录称，华盛顿“不负责任地放弃了其作为核武器国家的裁军义务”。

报告称，朝鲜迅速扩充核力量并“公然”扩散核武器，使得平壤别无选择，只能“作为一个负责任的核武器国家发挥更积极的作用”。

该文件将美国视为全球核扩散的主要罪魁祸首，并列举了美国的核武库建设和现代化以及其退出军控条约的行为。

朝鲜还指出，美国与首尔和东京在核动力潜艇方面的合作，以及美国、英国和澳大利亚的安全伙伴关系“澳科斯”（AUKUS），都证明了亚太地区正在形成核联盟。

声明称，这种合作最终可能导致韩国发展自己的核武器计划。

声明称，这一“严峻现实”将指导朝鲜为“维护我国和本地区的安全利益”而采取的行动。

韩国统一部一位官员告诉记者，这份备忘录被视为朝鲜为捍卫其核武器而做出的努力，强调了其所谓的华盛顿在核政策和核扩散问题上的双重标准。

据该官员称，这是朝鲜自去年5月以来首次以“备忘录”的形式发表正式声明。当时，朝鲜外交部批评了美国的导弹防御系统。

这位官员解释说，平壤在谈及某个特定问题的历史背景时会使用这个词。