Shea Levin — text status

North Korea rejected renewed U.S. demands for denuclearization and vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear arsenal, saying Washington’s “hostile policy” toward Pyongyang remains unchanged. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson pointed to U.S. criticism of North Korea’s human rights record, continued calls for complete denuclearization and planned military exercises with South Korea and Japan. Pyongyang called its nuclear weapons an “absolute guarantee” of its sovereignty and said repeated U.S. demands would not change its nuclear status.