Security Council Press Statement on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Liu Jieyi (China):
The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 23 April. This incident constituted yet another serious violation by the DPRK of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013) and 2270 (2016). The members of the Security Council emphasized that the DPRK’s development and testing of new ballistic missile capabilities, even if launches are failures, is clearly prohibited by these resolutions. In this context, the members of the Security Council reiterated their serious concern, as expressed in resolution 2270 (2016), that such ballistic missile activities contribute to the DPRK's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension in the region and beyond.
The members of the Security Council reiterated that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea shall refrain from further actions in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions, including to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme and in this context re-establish its previous commitments to a moratorium on missile launches.
In light of these recent violations, the members of the Security Council emphasized the importance of the work of the Security Council’s Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), and urged all Member States to redouble their efforts to implement the measures imposed in all relevant Security Council resolutions. The members of the Security Council particularly emphasized the need to strengthen implementation of the measures imposed in resolution 2270 (2016) and reiterated their call on Member States to report to the Security Council on concrete measures taken in order to implement effectively the provisions of that resolution.
The members of the Security Council reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the 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.
The members of the Security Council agreed that the Security Council would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures in line with the Council’s previously expressed determination.