UN warns over significant increase in missile launch activities by North Korea

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Friday sounded the alarm about growing missile launch activity by North Korea.

North Korea has "significantly increased its missile launch activities since 2022, including more than 100 launches using ballistic missile technology, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions," Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, told the Security Council.

Highlighting the need for "practical measures to reduce tensions, reverse the dangerous dynamic, and create space to explore diplomatic avenues," Khiari urged "maximum restraint ... to avoid unintended escalation."

"The DPRK’s persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that underpins it," he said, referring to the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official name of North Korea.

Expressing concern about the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the UN official urged all Council members and relevant parties to unite to "create an environment conducive to dialogue and cooperation."

"At this particularly difficult moment in securing global peace and security, it is imperative to deescalate the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula," he added.

He called on the North Korean official to "facilitate the full return of the international community," saying that it would enhance "international support for the people of the DPRK and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda."

- Heated Security Council exchange among Russian, Chinese, US envoys

US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood countered comments by the Russian and Chinese representatives, saying that those two countries are preventing the Security Council "from moving forward on the DPRK issue."

Emphasizing that the US is no threat to North Korea, Wood noted Washington’s commitment to communicate with North Korea to have discussions "with no preconditions whatsoever."

"That effort by the United States to reach out its hand, an open hand, has been met with a clenched fist," he said.

Warning the Council against rewarding DPRK, he urged China and Russia to "understand that walking back on their commitments to uphold UN Security Council resolutions on DPRK will force the United States and its allies to take additional steps to defend our security."

Wood commented on Russia's military cooperation with DPRK, and said, "The transfer of missiles to Russia by DPRK is in clear, clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. There could be no arguing with that fact."

China's envoy, Fu Cong, countered by affirming that his country’s “position has always been a prudent and a responsible one" on the Korean Peninsula.

He demanded the US end its "resort to military exercises and pressure measures" if it wishes to break the stalemate.

"It (US) should immediately take real actions and demonstrate sincerity and promote the relaxation of the tension over the peninsula instead of accusing other parties for no results at all," he added.

Russia's deputy ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, then took the floor and affirmed that her country and North Korea's military cooperation is "exclusively constructive and lawful in nature. It does not threaten anyone or violate anyone."

She criticized South Korea for comments made against Russia. "We call on you to abandon mutual accusations and to rather think about how to put an end to the spiral of escalation and overcome the dangerous impasse in which you currently find yourself," she said.