The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile launch conducted this past Sunday, May 21.
“The members of the Security Council expressed their utmost concern over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s highly destabilizing behavior,” read the statement issued Monday.
The UNSC was also concerned over North Korea’s “flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council by conducting this ballistic missile launch in violation of its international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), and 2321 (2016).”
The Council warned that if North Korea continued to defy the UN resolutions prohibiting its ballistic missile launches and nuclear development activities, it would “take further significant measures, including sanctions, in line with the Council’s previously expressed determination.”
The members of the Security Council stressed the DPRK’s illegal ballistic missile activities are “greatly increasing tension in the region and beyond” and expressed regret that Pyongyang is “diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons” while its citizens have “great unmet needs.”
The Security Council went on to emphasize the “vital importance” of North Korea’s “immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearization” and demanded the DPRK conduct no further nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
The members of the Security Council also “reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in North-East Asia at large, expressed their commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, and welcomed efforts by Council members, as well as other States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.”
Hana Levi Julian contributed to this report.
