North Korea condemns Seoul-Washington defense talks on WMD intelligence sharing

North Korea's defense ministry issued a statement through the Korean Central News Agency condemning the defense dialogue held last Thursday between South Korea and the United States. The two allies had agreed to set up a mechanism for sharing intelligence on the North's weapons of mass destruction. The North Korean spokesperson called the agreement an explicit declaration of confrontation, suggesting it could lead to the use of nuclear or biochemical weapons against the DPRK in a contingency on the peninsula.

He framed the perceived threat as a critical security challenge that may trigger the DPRK's nuclear force policy, adopted in 2022, which defines conditions for nuclear use. The statement urged the United States to correctly interpret the relevant legal provision and treat the warning as serious. No further information on the implementation of the sharing system was given.