North Korea plays US-China rivalry card to justify ‘irreversible’ nuclear status

North Korea is justifying its nuclear weapons program by leveraging the growing rivalry between the United States and China. This strategy moves beyond simply rejecting disarmament calls and instead uses the geopolitical climate to legitimize its arsenal. This defense comes as North Korea may soon face renewed pressure to negotiate, potentially due to the winding down of the Iran conflict allowing Washington and its allies to shift focus to the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang is also framing its nuclear weapons as a response to a hostile regional security environment, citing a US commander's description of South Korea as a "dagger" pointed at China.