North Korea says it has the right to continue to enhance and expand its nuclear deterrent in order to protect its interests.

A spokesman from the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang told the North’s official Korean Central News Agency that Pyongyang is not bound by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and is not subject to any obligations related to nuclear weapons.

The spokesman added that the North has produced nuclear weapons through transparent and legitimate processes even after its withdrawal from the treaty.

The spokesman claimed that in order to create a nuclear-free world, the international community should seek nuclear disarmament rather than the perpetuation of the treaty.