The UN Security Council held an open meeting in response to North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and strongly condemned North Korea. Although most members of the Security Council, including the United States, criticized China and Russia for not participating in North Korea’s condemnation of North Korea, these countries repeated their previous claim that the United States was the cause the problem. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports.
In a public meeting held on the 4th by the UN Security Council to discuss the issue of North Korea’s ballistic missile launches, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned North Korea’s successive ballistic missile launches and called for a tougher response by the Security Council.
[녹취: 토머스-그린필드 대사] “The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms each of the 13 recent DPRK ballistic missile launches since October 27. But the DPRK’s latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile – the seventh ICBM this year – is particularly worrisome , along with an unprecedented ballistic impact. missile just about 50 kilometers – or 30 miles – from the coastline of the Republic of Korea. “
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said, “The United States condemns, in the strongest language, the recent 13 North Korean ballistic missile launches since October 27. “The ballistic missile, which fell only 50 kilometers, or 30 miles, from the coast of South Korea is particularly worrying,” he said.
“We make it clear that these actions are not the actions of a responsible state,” he said.
[녹취: 토머스-그린필드 대사] “So let me be clear: These actions are not the actions of a responsible State. The DPRK has now launched a staggering 59 ballistic missiles this year. That’s right – 59. It is disgraceful for a Member State of the United Nations to go so blatantly against the resolutions of the Security Council, and everything that the Charter of the United Nations represents.”
“North Korea has launched 59 ballistic missiles this year,” he said.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also criticized China and Russia for showing a lukewarm attitude towards North Korea.
[녹취: 토머스-그린필드 대사] “Thirteen members of the Council have joined in condemning the illegal actions of the DPRK since the beginning of the year. And thirteen members of the Council have joined in voting to impose costs on the DPRK that would curb its illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile activities, while looking for new avenues to improve humanitarian aid to the people of the country.”
“Thirteen members of the Security Council (excluding China and Russia) have joined in condemning North Korea’s illegal activities since the beginning of this year, and these 13 countries are exploring new ways to improve humanitarian aid to North Korea while still looking for illegal massacres. . “I joined the vote to impose the cost of blocking North Korea’s pursuit of lethal weapons and ballistic missiles.”
In addition, when China and Russia identified the joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea as the root of the problem on the Korean Peninsula, he said, “It is nothing more than repeating North Korea’s misleading propaganda and comments.” The United States and South Korea are not a threat to anyone. We do long defensive military training,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.
“The credibility of the Security Council is at risk,” he said.
The Security Council previously included a clause in Resolution 2397 adopted in 2017 to strengthen sanctions against additional North Korean ICBM provocations.
The United States proposed and drafted a resolution on additional sanctions against North Korea based on this provision in March last year, but permanent members China and Russia used their veto power in a vote held in May.
On the same day, Mohammed Khaled Kiari attended the press conference of the deputy secretary general of the United Nations to express concerns at the level of the United Nations about the successive provocations of North Korea.
Deputy Secretary-General Chiari said, “The UN Secretary-General (António Guterres) strongly condemns North Korea’s successive missile launches, including ballistic missile and ICBM launches. We encourage them to comply,” he said.
On that day, other members of the Security Council also condemned North Korea with one voice. A number of countries also targeted China and Russia, saying the Security Council should receive a coordinated response.
Albania’s ambassador to the United Nations, Perrit Hoja, criticized China and Russia, saying, “It is time to regret once again that two vetoes, including two vetoes, were exercised on a resolution with a strong message that could impose restrictions on bad behavior.”
[녹취: 호자 대사] “It is time, once again, to regret that a decision with a strong message to show that the limits of fraudulent behavior has been stopped, has been vetoed twice. And what was the response? More missiles, more launches, more risks. That was the wrong message to the DPRK regime which they read as permission to continue breaking the law with impunity, and it continues to be so.”
Asked what North Korea’s response to the veto was, Ambassador Hoja said, “More missile launches and more danger.”
“It was, and remains, a false message to North Korea,” he said.
South Korea and Japan, which are not members of the Security Council, participated in the meeting as relevant countries and urged the Security Council to take decisive action.
South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, Hwang Jun-guk, said, “It is particularly deplorable that North Korea has ignored South Korea’s national mourning period and has repeatedly provoked serious.”
[녹취: 황준국 대사] “It is particularly regrettable that the DPRK repeats it’s serious provocations in completely disregarding our period of national mourning… We call on all members of the United Nations especially the members of the Security Council, to implement relevant resolutions the Security Council in full.”
“The Republic of Korea urges all member states of the United Nations, especially the members of the Security Council, to fully implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,” emphasized Ambassador Hwang.
Kimihiro Ishikane, Japan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, said, “How can the Security Council ignore an obvious challenge to its own authority and resolve it?”
However, China and Russia blamed the US government for the incident without condemning North Korea.
China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, took issue with the recent resumption of large-scale joint military exercises by the United States and mentioned the end of the North Korean regime in its recent nuclear posture review report.
He argued that the Security Council should play a constructive role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue instead of emphasizing pressure.
On that day, the Security Council did not take any additional measures, such as adopting a resolution or a statement from the chairman or the press.
However, 12 countries including the United States, Albania, Ecuador, France, South Korea and Japan issued a joint statement after the meeting condemning North Korea’s repeated provocations.
In particular, while calling for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantling of North Korea’s illegal weapons program, he emphasized the fact that unity in the Security Council is essential to the growing threat of North Korea.
Separately, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway and Albania, other than the permanent members of the Security Council, issued a separate joint statement.
These countries also urged the UN Security Council to accept a joint response along with the cessation of North Korea’s ballistic missile launches, nuclear tests and weapons development.
This is Jiha Ham from VOA News.
