UN warns North Korea's ballistic missile launch 'represents grave threat to regional stability'

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - North Korea's recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch "represents a grave threat to regional stability," the UN warned on Monday.

Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, informed the UN Security Council that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has launched at least 11 ICBMs since unveiling its five-year military development plan in January 2021.

"The DPRK’s launch of yet another ICBM is of serious concern and represents a grave threat to regional stability," Khiari said.

He warned that despite numerous appeals from the Security Council in 2023 and 2024, the DPRK has not refrained from further launches.

"We remain deeply concerned about growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula," Khiari added.

He further said that North Korea’s persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs is in direct violation of Security Council resolutions and continues to undermine global nuclear disarmament efforts.

"There is a crucial need for practical measures to reduce tensions and reverse this dangerous trajectory," Khiari said, calling on all member states to “create an environment conducive to dialogue and cooperation."

Last Friday, North Korea said it fired an “ultimate version” of the intercontinental ICBM, the Hwasongpho-19.

The launch triggered joint military drills from the South Korean military and the US forces.

The escalation of the tensions on the Korean Peninsula came at a time when Seoul, Washington, and NATO have claimed that North Korea has deployed its forces to Russia.