North Korea pushed back strongly against the Quad—an America, Japan, Australia, and India four-nation security consultative body—mentioning "North Korea's denuclearization," saying "there will never be denuclearization of North Korea."
A Foreign Ministry Spokesperson issued a position on the 28th in the form of answering a Korea Central News Agency reporter's question, saying, "Taking issue with the legitimate exercise of our state's sovereign rights and harping on 'denuclearization' shows that the Quad is nothing more than a political and diplomatic tool serving the implementation of America's unipolar domination strategy."
The statement continued, "To make it clear once again, there will absolutely, forever, be no denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
Earlier, on the 26th, the Quad foreign ministers held a meeting in New Delhi, India, and said in a joint statement that they "reaffirm the resolve for the complete denuclearization of North Korea."
They also mentioned issues in the East China Sea and South China Sea and set out a position opposing coercive actions that attempt to change the status quo. Although the statement did not directly name China, interpretations emerged that it was effectively a message aimed at China.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry criticized this, saying it "not only gravely distorted the challenges and threats facing countries in the Asia-Pacific region but also laid bare, without filter, a hostile intent targeting specific countries."
It added, "We sternly condemn the U.S.-led Quad for fomenting a hostile stance toward regional countries, including our state," and "strongly demand that it no longer pursue bloc confrontation schemes that destroy peace and stability in the region."