Cost of North Korea’s illicit missile launches borne by its people: UK statement to Security Council

Thank you, President. I also thank SSG Jenca for his briefing today and welcome the participation of the Republic of Korea.

The UK condemns the DPRK’s launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile on March 16. It was the tenth ICBM launch from the DPRK since the start of 2022.

Don’t make a mistake. This missile was not designed, built, deployed and launched overnight. The DPRK first displayed this type in 2020. It has been tested many times since in a long-planned development process, in defiance of the decisions of this Council, and protected by two of its members.

These same members may seek to equate lawful defensive military exercises with DPRK actions. Let’s be clear. Defensive exercises are safe when given advance notice to other states and when operating in defined areas, as South Korean and American exercises have done.

We must protect the credibility of this Council by challenging these violations with a firm and united response. Five years of inaction, imposed on the Council by two members, has left no one safer. The time has come to adopt a comprehensive resolution that addresses international security concerns with new targeted measures, while creating the conditions for renewed dialogue and facilitating assistance.

Recall that the cost of these illicit launches is borne by the North Korean people, whose government diverts resources from the people’s basic economic needs to its illegal weapons program. We call on the DPRK to allow international UN personnel to enter the country. Sanctions exemptions are in place to support expedited humanitarian assistance.

We again call on all member states to fully implement the existing resolutions, which all Council members have voted on repeatedly, to counter the continued development of the DPRK’s banned programs.

Finally, Mr. President, we call on the DPRK to cease these launches and engage meaningfully with the offers of dialogue from the United States and the Republic of Korea. Diplomacy is the only path to lasting peace on the peninsula.

THANKS.