The United Kingdom called on the UN Security Council Monday to take firm action in response to a string of provocative weapons tests by North Korea, saying the regime’s “flagrant violations” of international law cannot go unchecked.
In a statement to the Council, UK Political Counsellor Fergus Eckersley condemned North Korea’s attempted launch of a military satellite on April 13, as well as a subsequent volley of 18 short-range ballistic missiles fired the next day – the most ever launched in a single salvo by the DPRK.
“Make no mistake, this remains a flagrant violation of this Council’s resolutions,”
Eckersley said of the failed satellite launch, which triggered missile alerts in Japan as debris splashed down in the country’s territorial waters.
“It also recklessly endangered Japanese civilians.”
Timeline of Tension
The incidents are the latest in a series of escalating provocations by Pyongyang (Capital City of DPRK) in recent years:
Year |
Key Weapons Tests |
|---|---|
| 2016 | New ICBMs paraded; medium-range missile and SLBM tests |
| 2017 | New solid-fueled MRBM and suspected ICBM designs unveiled |
| 2019 | Multiple tests of new short-range ballistic missile variants |
| 2020 | Further short-range tactical missile launches |
| 2023 | Failed military satellite launch and record SRBM volleys |
| 2024* | Test of new Hwasong-16B intermediate-range ballistic missile |
*Current year
Call for Consequences
Eckersley argued that some Security Council members’ efforts to downplay the severity of the violations or draw “false equivalence” with defensive military drills have backfired, emboldening the regime.
“They have blocked meaningful action to address the DPRK’s activity and it has simply got worse,”
he said.
“Their support for DPRK has not secured compliance with this Council’s resolutions. It has led to more instability in the region and more disruption to the proliferation rules that keep us all safe.”
The UK diplomat voiced particular concern over reports that Russian technicians may be assisting the DPRK’s space and missile programs, and that Russia may be deploying North Korean missiles in its war in Ukraine.
“Deliberately undermining the global non-proliferation regime and this Council’s authority is a risk to all of us,” Eckersley warned.
Humanitarian Worries
In addition to the security threats, Eckersley highlighted the UK’s deep concern for the welfare of the North Korean people, who continue to suffer deprivation as the regime pours massive state resources into its illicit weapons programs.
He said,
“I encourage the DPRK to reopen its borders and engage with the UN and its agencies and refrain from further launches, return to dialogue, and abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.”
He also urged all Security Council members to responsibly address the mounting threats and uphold their commitments to the global non-proliferation framework.
It remains to be seen whether the Council can bridge internal divisions to muster a united response when it meets to discuss the crisis in the coming days.
Sources: THX News, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Missile Threat, Arms Control Association, NK Leadership Watch & UK Political Counsellor, Fergus Eckersley.
