North Korea on Sunday stated that its possession of nuclear weapons was not negotiable, a day after declaring “a state of war” with South Korea.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons were a “treasure” and would not be traded for “billions of dollars,” North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency said, citing statements from a plenary meeting of the central committee of the country’s Workers’ Party.

Nuclear weapons “are neither a political bargaining chip nor a thing for economic deals ... (nor can they) be put on the table of negotiations aimed at forcing (North Korea) to disarm itself.” At the instructions of national leader Kim Jong Un, the central committee had decided that nuclear weapons would be “fixed by law,” as the weapons represented “the life of the nation, which can never be abandoned as long as the imperialists and nuclear threats exist on earth.” Details on the law were not provided.

The committee stated that a “new strategic line” had been developed by which economic and military progress would take place simultaneously.

The North Korean leadership announced plans to build an “independent atomic energy industry” as well as a light water reactor to ameliorate the country’s problems in electricity production.

On Saturday, North Korea announced it was in a state of war with South Korea, in a continuation of rhetoric against South Korea and the United States.

The US military on Sunday continued preparations for annual military exercises with South Korea. US defence officials told the Wall Street Journal that US F-22 stealth fighter jets arrived yesterday in South Korea for the joint exercises.

It is the latest demonstration of US military air power and comes three days after two US B-2 stealth bombers dropped dummy bombs onto a South Korean training ground near the North Korean border to demonstrate the US commitment to its allies in the region, the US military in Seoul said.

Relations between the parties have deteriorated since North Korea’s third nuclear test on February 12, which led to a strengthening of international sanctions against it.

Pyongyang has since issued numerous threats, including on possible pre-emptive nuclear attacks.

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