North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a nuclear-material production plant with officials, in this photo published by the Korean Central News Agency, Jan. 29. Yonhap

North Korea said Saturday its nuclear weapons were not a bargaining chip but designed for combat use against any attempts by its enemies to invade the North, reaffirming its stance to further develop its nuclear arsenal.

The North's statement came after the White House said that Washington will seek "complete denuclearization of North Korea," under U.S. President Donald Trump, dismissing speculation that he may seek arms reduction rather than a long-term policy goal of denuclearization.

In a commentary issued by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea stressed that its nuclear force is not for negotiations but for combat use, effectively affirming that it has no interest in returning to denuclearization talks with the United States.

"Our nuclear force is not something that can be advertised to earn recognition from anybody and not even a bargaining chip that can be exchanged for a mere sum of money," the KCNA said.

"Our country's nuclear force is invariably for real combat use in a bid to swiftly cut out the origin of any invasion attempt by hostile forces that infringe upon the country's sovereign right and people's safety, and threaten regional peace," it added.

In response to officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union who reaffirmed that they will not accept North Korea as a nuclear power, North Korea also denounced their remarks as "ludicrous."

Trump's return to the White House spawned speculation that he would seek to revive summit diplomacy over the North's nuclear weapons with Kim, during his second term.

Trump held in-person meetings three times with Kim, including their first summit in Singapore in 2018. But the Hanoi summit in 2019 ended without a deal due to differences over the North's denuclearization steps in return for sanctions relief.

The U.S. president expressed his intent to reengage with the North's leader during a Fox News interview last month, calling Kim a "smart guy."

But without responding to Trump's overture, North Korea has disclosed Kim's visit to a uranium enrichment facility while stressing the need to strengthen the country's "nuclear shield" against hostile countries.

On his first day in office in January, Trump called North Korea a "nuclear power" -- a term that U.S. officials have mostly refrained from using on concerns that it could be viewed as U.S. recognition of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons.

But the White House affirmed last month that the U.S. will pursue "complete denuclearization of North Korea" when asked whether Trump's reference to the North as a nuclear power signaled any policy shift. (Yonhap)