Pyongyang accuses Washington, Seoul of pushing region toward nuclear conflict

The head of North Korea’s top legislative body has accused the United States and South Korea of moving toward the realisation of nuclear war, defending Pyongyang’s own nuclear weapons program as a necessary act of self-defence.

Speaking at the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Switzerland—a United Nations-led gathering of senior lawmakers from across the globe—Pak In-chol, Chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, claimed that Washington and its allies were deliberately fostering “instability and chaos” to maintain global dominance.

“The United States and the Republic of Korea have now reached a critical stage in their concrete preparations to bring about a nuclear conflict,” Pak said, according to an interpreter. “This forces the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to take all necessary measures in response to this escalating geopolitical crisis.”

He emphasised that securing sufficient defensive capabilities to counter external threats was essential to protecting the North’s sovereignty, national security, and territorial integrity. He framed North Korea’s nuclear development as a vital and justified response to what he described as a mounting threat from hostile forces.

Pak also warned that Pyongyang would not accept what he described as the “arrogance and unilateralism of the United States and its followers,” adding that North Korea would fulfil its “responsibility” to uphold international justice.

In his speech, Pak additionally highlighted the North’s domestic priorities, asserting that the country is implementing a developmental roadmap aimed at improving the well-being of its citizens. He mentioned long-term initiatives to enhance sectors such as education, healthcare, and science, and claimed North Koreans were achieving “miraculous successes” in their push for national progress.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik also attended the same conference. In his address, Woo advocated for keeping inter-Korean communication channels open, despite strained relations between the two countries.

No direct interaction was reported between Pak and Woo during the event.

By Tamilla Hasanova