United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the launch of “another ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).”
A spokesperson for Guterres said in the statement, “This action is in violation of Security Council resolutions and a threat to peace and security in the region.
“The Secretary-General calls on the DPRK to ensure full compliance with its international obligations and return to the path of denuclearization.”
The apparently successful launch on Sunday of a mid-to-long range missile appeared to confirm a leap forward in the country’s drive towards an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It also underlined a statement by the North Korean government that the launch was carried out partly to see if
the missile was capable of carrying a “large-scale heavy nuclear warhead.”
North Korea is working to build an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that will reach the United States, some 8,000 kilometers (4,800 miles) away.
The U.S. military minimized the success of this launch, saying the type of missile fired on Sunday was “not consistent” with an ICBM.