(UPDATE) SEOUL — Pyongyang on Tuesday criticized the United States and East Asian neighbors for pursuing the 'absurd' goal of denuclearizing North Korea, saying it would push to expand its nuclear forces under the direction of its authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un.

The statement by the North's foreign ministry came after the top diplomats of the US, South Korea and Japan met at a security conference in southern Germany and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation and reinforcing an international sanctions regime to counter Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.