Baghdad: North Korea on Monday condemned the ASEAN Forum’s (ARF) call for denuclearization, asserting that Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal would be “steadily modernized.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, criticized a joint statement issued Saturday following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Annual Meeting in Manila, in which they reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea.

The regional forum’s statement called for international efforts toward the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through peaceful means,” according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. Kim stated, “North Korea’s position is firm and clear: nuclear deterrence is the ultimate shield of national sovereignty and the highest guarantee for its defense.” She added, “Whatever others may say, North Korea’s status and importance as a responsible nuclear state for maintaining the balance of power and ensuring geopolitical security on and around the Korean Peninsula is final and irreversible.” North Korea’s nuclear capabilities continue uninterrupted.

The North Korean leader’s sister made similar remarks last June, describing North Korea’s status as a nuclear state as “absolutely irreversible” and “a red line,” vowing not to tolerate any threats against it.

The ASEAN Regional Forum is the only multilateral security forum that includes both Koreas. However, Pyongyang was absent from the meeting for the second year in a row, amid its continued focus on strengthening ties with Russia and China.