North Korea Condemns South Korea–US Fact Sheet as Move Toward Confrontation
Pyongyang says joint document formalises hostile policy; criticises denuclearisation push and nuclear submarine plan
North Korea, Nov 18 : On Tuesday sharply criticised the newly released joint fact sheet between South Korea and the United States, calling it a formalisation of their “confrontational stance” against Pyongyang. The North warned that it would take “justified and realistic countermeasures” in response.
The condemnation came after Seoul and Washington on Friday issued a joint document detailing the outcomes of two summits between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump held in August and October. The release coincided with a joint communiqué from their annual defence talks in early November.
According to a lengthy commentary published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang took issue with several points in the fact sheet, particularly the allies’ commitment to the “complete denuclearisation of North Korea” and Washington’s formal approval of Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines.
KCNA said the agreement reaffirmed that the US and South Korea’s “hostile intentions” toward Pyongyang were now “formulated as policy,” adding that the DPRK would respond accordingly to protect its sovereignty and regional peace.
North Korea further argued that the summit outcomes reflect “the most vivid manifestation” of the Trump administration’s approach to the Korean Peninsula, denouncing the denuclearisation clause as an attempt to “deny the constitution of the DPRK to the last.”
The North also condemned the US support for South Korea’s plan to acquire nuclear powered submarines, calling it a “serious development” that risks destabilising the Asia-Pacific region and triggering a “nuclear domino phenomenon” and a “hot arms race.”
Pyongyang criticised Washington’s backing of Seoul’s ambition to secure uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing capabilities, claiming the move effectively lays a foundation for South Korea to become a “quasi-nuclear weapons state.”
The sharp reaction from the North comes as Pyongyang has yet to respond to President Trump’s repeated offers to meet leader Kim Jong-un and revive stalled diplomacy. Kim earlier signalled openness to dialogue— but only if Washington drops denuclearisation as a precondition for talks.
