North Korea Declares NPT Non-Binding Status at 11th Review Conference

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entered into force in 1970 to curb nuclear spread. North Korea ratified it in 1985 but announced its withdrawal in 2003, a move whose legality remains disputed. At the 11th NPT Review Conference in New York on 7 May 2026, Kim Song, the DPRK’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said the country “will not be bound by the Non-Proliferation Treaty under any circumstances whatsoever.” He added that the nuclear status is “enshrined in the constitution, transparently declaring the principles of nuclear weapons use” and will not shift due to “rhetorical assertion or unilateral desire of outsiders.”

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North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and is believed to hold “dozens” of warheads. SIPRI estimates about 50 warheads with enough fissile material for roughly 40 more; other analysts cite up to 90 warheads. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned the DPRK could produce material for 10-20 weapons annually. The nine nuclear-armed states possessed an estimated 12,241 warheads in January 2025, with the United States and Russia accounting for nearly 90 % of the global stockpile. DPRK’s asserted nuclear permanence therefore challenges the non-proliferation framework.

North Korea Disowns Nuclear Treaty

The DPRK reiterated that its nuclear status is irreversible and not subject to “rhetorical assertion or unilateral desire of outsiders.” The United States and allies condemned the stance, calling pressure to re-enter the treaty a “wanton violation of international law.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that “commitments remain unfulfilled. Trust and credibility are wearing thin. The drivers of proliferation are accelerating.”

The Straits Times

Warhead counts differ, ranging from SIPRI’s 50 estimate to analysts’ 90-warhead ceiling; the legality of the 2003 withdrawal remains contested, and independent verification of fissile material stocks is absent.

North Korea Disowns Nuclear Treaty

• “The United States and other countries at the conference are "groundlessly taking issue with the present status and exercise of sovereign rights of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a nuclear weapons state outside the treaty," Kim wrote, using North Korea's official name.” — Kim Song

United Press International (UPI)

• “The status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a nuclear-armed state will not change based on external rhetorical claims or unilateral desires,” — Kim Song

The Straits Times

• “To make it clear once again, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will not be bound by the Non-Proliferation Treaty under any circumstances whatsoever.” — Kim Song

The Straits Times

• “Commitments remain unfulfilled. Trust and credibility are wearing thin. The drivers of proliferation are accelerating,” — Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General

The Straits Times

The Review Conference will adopt a final declaration that may reaffirm or revise NPT obligations. The UN Security Council, which has imposed multiple sanctions on the DPRK, will review the outcome. U.S. and allied officials say diplomatic avenues remain under consideration, but a Trump-Kim meeting is not currently scheduled.

United Press International (UPI)