(MENAFN) North Korea lashed out at South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday, accusing him of revealing his “true identity as a hypocrite” after he pushed for denuclearization during a visit to the United States.

In a scathing commentary published by North Korean media, Pyongyang condemned Lee’s Monday address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., where he reinforced the US-South Korea alliance and pledged a tough stance against provocations.

"He even insulted us by calling us ‘poor but fierce neighbors’ and later started talking about the absurd idea of ‘denuclearization,’” the agency said, dismissing the South Korean leader’s remarks as both offensive and unrealistic.

North Korea reiterated that it would never surrender its nuclear arsenal.

"Our position of never giving up nuclear weapons, which are our national prestige and national security, is absolutely unchangeable," media stated, underscoring the regime’s unwavering stance on its weapons program.

The agency defended Pyongyang’s nuclear posture as an “inevitable choice” in response to persistent external threats and shifting global dynamics, asserting its identity as a nuclear-armed state.

While in Washington, Lee proposed a renewed summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, suggesting a meeting later this year. Trump responded favorably to the idea, calling it "a very wise suggestion," according to South Korean presidential office spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung.

Trump and Kim previously held three high-profile meetings during Trump's first term, including a symbolic encounter at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.

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