Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Thursday that the country's status as a nuclear-armed state was "absolute" and could not be reversed, dismissing hopes that Pyongyang might eventually abandon its nuclear weapons.

In a statement carried by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim said the country's position as a nuclear weapons state could not be changed "with anything."

"The DPRK's position as a nuclear weapons state is absolute which cannot be reversed with anything," Kim said, using the official name of North Korea.

She argued that Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal plays a key role in deterring what she described as "outrageous acts" by hostile forces and said North Korea would continue to maintain its nuclear capabilities.

Kim's comments came as the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference was being held in Vienna, where discussions included international efforts to address nuclear proliferation and North Korea's nuclear programme.

She said North Korea expected what she called the "familiar silly talk" about attempts to denuclearise the country to continue.

"If they believe that it is really possible, they will only hear the word of idiots," Kim said.

She added that the country's nuclear status had been established both physically and legally and that hostile countries could not alter that reality through political or diplomatic pressure.

North Korea has increasingly formalised its nuclear doctrine in domestic law, declaring its nuclear weapons programme permanent and irreversible. Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected international demands that it abandon its nuclear arsenal, arguing that its weapons are necessary for national security and deterrence.

The size of North Korea's nuclear stockpile remains uncertain. US President Donald Trump recently said Pyongyang possessed 57 nuclear weapons, while South Korean estimates have put the figure considerably higher, at between 80 and 120 warheads.

Independent estimates vary because North Korea does not publicly disclose the full size of its nuclear arsenal or provide international inspectors with access to its weapons programme.

Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities have expanded significantly since the second summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump in Hanoi in 2019 ended without an agreement. The talks broke down over disagreements about the scope of North Korea's denuclearisation measures and the sanctions relief and other concessions Pyongyang would receive in return.

Since then, North Korea has continued developing its nuclear and missile programmes and has repeatedly signalled that it has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons.

Kim Yo Jong's latest statement therefore reinforces Pyongyang's longstanding position that denuclearisation is no longer a realistic negotiating objective, while tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme remain a major security concern for South Korea, Japan and the United States. (ILKHA)