▲ This image, captured from the website of the Korean Central News Agency, shows Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) N Korea-nuclear status

(LEAD) N.K. leader's sister says Pyongyang's nuclear status 'irreversible'

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details from para 3)

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said her country's status as a nuclear-armed state is "absolutely irreversible" and vowed not to tolerate any threats against it, the North's state media reported Sunday.

Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in which she reiterated Pyongyang's position that its nuclear weapons program is nonnegotiable while rejecting international efforts aimed at denuclearization.

"Our status as a nuclear weapons state is an absolutely irreversible red line and an undeniable reality whether anyone recognizes it or not," said the statement released Saturday, according to the KCNA.

Her remarks came a day ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled visit to Pyongyang, apparently aimed at underscoring that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program is not subject to discussions between Xi and Kim Jong-un.

With Xi set to travel to Pyongyang, a U.S. State Department spokesperson on Friday highlighted that U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi had reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea during their summit in Beijing last month.

Kim Yo-jong, who serves as a department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, dismissed the U.S. official's comments, accusing Washington of "spreading lies."

She also suggested Pyongyang had received a direct explanation from Beijing regarding the discussions between Trump and Xi, saying, "We have the most accurate information regarding whether such a thing occurred."

The statement also reiterated North Korea's justification for continuing to strengthen its military capabilities, citing what it called persistent military threats from hostile countries, including Washington's recent approval of a potential sale of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs and related equipment to South Korea.

"This is why we are devoted to strengthening our self-defense capabilities to guarantee the security of the state in the face of hostile countries' continuous military buildup," Kim said.

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