North Korea accuses Nato of fuelling military confrontation, vows to bolster nuclear forces

North Korea has condemned the US and its allies following this week's Nato summit, accusing the alliance of deepening military blocs, increasing defence spending and expanding cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. Pyongyang said the developments reflected a growing policy of confrontation and reiterated its commitment to strengthening its nuclear capabilities.

In a statement carried by state media KCNA on Saturday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused Nato leaders of portraying the country's exercise of its legitimate sovereign rights as a threat.

The ministry said the alliance had reinforced bloc-to-bloc confrontation by increasing military spending and strengthening defence cooperation with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

Summit announced major defence agreements

During the Nato summit in Turkey on Tuesday, officials announced more than $50 billion in military procurement and industrial agreements.

The commitments came as European allies continued to face pressure from US President Donald Trump to assume a greater share of the alliance's defence responsibilities.

More from World

On the sidelines of the summit, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he hoped Seoul would expand cooperation with Nato allies in research and development, including cutting-edge technologies, and in the production of weapons systems.

North Korea rejects Nato's role

Pyongyang said the summit demonstrated that Nato had become an organisation focused on war and confrontation, pursuing what it described as exclusive geopolitical interests at the expense of peace and security in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

North Korea also said efforts by Western countries to persuade it to abandon its nuclear weapons had been irreversibly terminated.

According to the foreign ministry, denuclearisation efforts should instead focus first on what it described as attempts by South Korea and Japan to pursue their own nuclear weapons under US protection, as well as the nuclear ambitions of Nato members participating in the alliance's nuclear-sharing arrangements.

Pyongyang reiterates nuclear plans

The ministry said North Korea would safeguard its sovereignty, security interests and regional peace through the responsible exercise of its sovereign rights.

On Friday, KCNA reported that North Korea had decided on measures to strengthen its nuclear forces "quantitatively and qualitatively" as leader Kim Jong Un continues to push for military modernisation.