Earlier this month, Chosun Workers’ Party International Secretary Kim Yong Il informed former Japanese legislator Antonio Inoki that North Korea intends to continue developing its nuclear weapons capability, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo News today.

Kim allegedly told the news to former professional wrestler and lawmaker Inoki, whose real name is Kanji Inoki, during a private meeting at the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang on April 16th, the day after he led a Japanese delegation celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung.

In an interview with Kyodo, Inoki cited Kim as telling him, “America says it will support us if we stop nuclear developments, but they have trampled over those nations which have abandoned their nuclear weapons so we will not repeat the same mistake again. This is North Korea’s position.”