Security Council Press Statement on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Ballistic Missile Launch
The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the most recent ballistic missile launch conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 21 May 2017. The members of the Security Council expressed their utmost concern over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s highly destabilizing behaviour and 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 members of the Security Council agreed that the Security Council would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures including sanctions, in line with the Council’s previously expressed determination.
The members of the Security Council vowed to fully and comprehensively implement all measures imposed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by the Security Council and strongly urge all other Member States to do so in an expeditious and serious manner, particularly the comprehensive measures contained in resolutions 2321 (2016) and 2270 (2016), in response to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s flagrant act of defying the will of the Security Council to denuclearize the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea emphasized on 28 April at the Ministerial Security Council meeting. The members of the Security Council called on the 1718 Committee to redouble its efforts to improve global implementation of all measures, including by implementing the relevant feasible recommendations of the Panel of Experts as soon as possible.
The members of the Security Council stressed that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s illegal ballistic missile activities are significantly contributing to its development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and are greatly increasing tension in the region and beyond. The members of the Security Council further regretted that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons while Democratic People’s Republic of Korea citizens have great unmet needs.
The members of the Security Council emphasized the vital importance of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearization through concrete action and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond. To that end, the Security Council demanded the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conduct no further nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The members of the Security Council 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.