S/PV.9775 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Khiari. Mr. Khiari: On 31 October, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced through its official news agency that it had launched a Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), at approximately 7.11 a.m. local time, earlier that day. With a flight duration of one hour and 26 minutes, the missile flew a distance of approximately a thousand kilometres, reaching an altitude of more than 7,000 kilometres before falling into the sea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea described this most recent launch as a very crucial test that updated the recent records of the country’s strategic-missile capability. Regrettably, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea did not issue any airspace or maritime safety notifications, posing a serious risk to international civil aviation and maritime traffic, with the potential for unintended incidents. Since the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced its five-year military-development plan in January 2021 aimed at acquiring new military capabilities, it has launched at least 11 ICBMs. The Hwasong-19 sets new records in terms of flight duration and altitude and is the second solid-fuel ICBM developed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that does not need to undergo fuelling prior to launch. It is reported to be larger than its predecessor, the Hwasong-18, and may be capable of carrying larger warheads or even multiple warheads. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s launch of yet another ICBM is of serious concern and represents a grave threat to regional stability. Despite numerous meetings of the Security Council in 2023 and 2024, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has not heeded calls to refrain from further launches. The Secretary-General strongly condemned the Hwasong-19 launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a clear violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. He again called for de-escalation; the full implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions; an environment that is conducive to dialogue and the resumption of talks, emphasizing that diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace; and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We remain deeply concerned about growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic-missile programmes, in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that underpins it. There is a crucial need for practical measures to reduce tensions and reverse this dangerous trajectory. We encourage all Member States to seek unity and to create an environment conducive to dialogue and cooperation. At this challenging juncture for securing global peace and security, it is imperative to prioritize de-escalation and to work towards a stable and secure Korean Peninsula. The United Nations and its partners stand ready to assist the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in addressing the basic needs of its population. We call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea authorities to facilitate the full return of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and the United Nations country team. A collective return of the international community would enhance international support for the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and facilitate progress towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

I thank Mr. Khiari for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

Before beginning, I would like to congratulate you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. My delegation looks forward to working closely with you, Madam, as you carry out your duties. I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing. The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s 30 October launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in direct violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to advance its unlawful ballistic- missile programme and has now launched well over a hundred ballistic missiles since the beginning of 2022. Each of those tests is a flagrant violation of Council resolutions. Each test informs the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of its capability gaps and allows Pyongyang to further advance its weapons programmes. They are unacceptable attempts to undermine global peace and security, and they make us all less safe. The Security Council has a responsibility to hold the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea accountable. Nevertheless, we are meeting again today because two members of the Council — China and Russia — have repeatedly shielded the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, contributing to the normalization of these tests and emboldening the Democratic People’s Republic to further violate the Council’s sanctions and resolutions. Despite being permanent members of the Council, Russia and China have shamelessly protected Pyongyang from any reprisal, or even condemnation, of its actions. In March, Russia handed Kim Jong Un the gift of terminating the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts (see S/PV.9591), as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea supplies ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia for its brutal war against Ukraine. With its abstention on the Panel’s mandate renewal, China clearly showed the world where it stands on curbing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s proliferation. Shielded from closer scrutiny of its sanctions- violating activities by Moscow and Beijing, Pyongyang, unsurprisingly, has been emboldened to continue advancing its unlawful ballistic-missile, nuclear and weapons-of-mass-destruction programmes. But Russia’s willingness to openly violate the Council’s sanctions resolutions and jeopardize international peace and security knows no bounds, as Russia is unlawfully training Democratic People’s Republic of Korea soldiers in its territory. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has sent some 10,000 soldiers to Russia. Russian forces have trained those soldiers in artillery operations, uncrewed aerial vehicle operations and basic infantry operations. Soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea receiving or providing any training or other assistance related to the use of ballistic missiles or other arms is a direct violation of resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009) and 2270 (2016). These latest egregious acts come as Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continue to violate those same resolutions by transferring lethal weapons from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Russia — weapons that Russia has used against Ukraine, including against civilian targets. We have not yet seen soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea deploy into combat against Ukraine’s forces, but we expect them to do so in the coming days. The nature of the training that Russia is providing to those forces, including trench clearing, indicates that Russia intends to use them in front-line operations. If those troops engage in combat or combat- support operations against Ukraine, they will render themselves legitimate military targets. Let us be clear: if soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea do enter into combat, that would demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine. It would also demonstrate an unprecedented level of direct military cooperation between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with security implications in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. All members of the Council used to consistently condemn the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s serious and intensifying threat to international peace and security. All members of the Council used to be fully committed to upholding the Security Council resolutions that seek to safeguard international peace and security. But China and Russia now block the Council from speaking out against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s behaviour. The recent developments threaten us all. All Member States have an obligation to faithfully implement the legally binding measures under Security Council’s resolutions. To my Russian and Chinese colleagues I say that it is time to stop obstructing and rejoin the rest of us in voicing a united and clear denunciation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s behaviour, to call on all Member States to fully and faithfully implement Security Council resolutions and to work together to prevent the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s procurement activities and revenue flows, which are supporting its unlawful weapons-of- mass-destruction and ballistic-missile programmes. In response to recent developments, the United States introduced a press statement that sought to condemn the launch of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile in direct violation of the Council’s resolutions. It is unfortunate that Russia and China could not join us in voicing a united denunciation and upholding the Council’s legally binding measures that seek to safeguard international peace and security.

I thank Mr. Khiari for his briefing. On 30 October, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile is thought to have reached an altitude of more than 7,600 kilometres before crashing into the sea off the coast of Japan. France joins the Secretary-General in condemning the launch. We assure South Korea and Japan of our full solidarity in the light of this new provocation. The launch comes after a long series of violations of Security Council resolutions. Since 2022, North Korea has conducted more than a hundred ballistic-missile launches, including several with an intercontinental range, and has sent into orbit a military satellite using ballistic-missile technologies. At the same time, it has continued to harden its nuclear rhetoric. In September 2023, it enshrined in its Constitution the possession of nuclear weapons. The North Korean regime boasted that the 30 October launch had shown the world the irreversible nature of its progress in developing nuclear- weapon-delivery systems. Under those circumstances, who can claim, as the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs has, that the denuclearization of North Korea is a closed issue? For months, Russia has been providing North Korea with diplomatic cover in exchange for support in continuing its war of aggression against Ukraine. North Korean ballistic missiles have already been delivered to Russia and used in Ukraine, in violation of Council resolutions. We are concerned about the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. It represents an escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia’s aggression. France reiterates that any participation of North Korean soldiers in a war of aggression against a sovereign State would be a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. In exchange for that support, Russia offers North Korea impunity and assistance in the development of its illegal programmes. It vetoed the renewal of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) (see S/PV.9591), which had been working for more than 15 years on violations of Council sanctions. We can only worry about what else Pyongyang could ask for in return in terms of military and technological cooperation. It is Russia’s responsibility to put an immediate end to that illicit military rapprochement and refrain from turning its back on its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council. The strengthening of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic programmes threatens the stability of the Korean Peninsula, weakens the international non-proliferation regime and jeopardizes international peace and security. That is in no one’s interest. France once again calls on North Korea and all States Members of the United Nations to comply with the obligations set forth in the Security Council’s resolutions. It calls on North Korea to cease its destabilizing actions, finally engage in dialogue — with a view to complete, irreversible and verifiable denuclearization — and prioritize the well- being of its population over the development of its nuclear arsenal by accelerating the reopening of its borders and the return of humanitarian actors.

I congratulate you, Madam President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and I thank you for convening today’s critical meeting, requested by seven Council members, including Japan. I also thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing. I must begin by stating our strong condemnation of yet another launch of an intercontinental-ballistic- missile-class missile by North Korea, in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. This most recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is estimated to have landed in waters near Japan only about 200 kilometres from the island of Hokkaido. That ICBM launch is more threatening than ever, as it reached a height of more than 7,000 kilometres and clocked a flight time of approximately 86 minutes — the highest and longest trajectory of any missile that North Korea has launched to date. In addition, its estimated range capability of 15,000 kilometres covers three quarters of the globe. The launch has further worsened the security situation not only of the region but also of the entire world and has brought the gravest threat yet from North Korea to all citizens of the region and beyond. I reiterate that North Korea’s ballistic-missile launches are undermining the international peace and security that the Charter of the United Nations has given the Council the primary responsibility to maintain. I urge all Council members to reaffirm their commitment to the Charter — the supreme instrument of world peace — and to express a united and strong response to this unprovoked incident. Let me take this opportunity to underscore the fact that North Korea continues to develop its unlawful nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes, relentlessly violating Security Council resolutions. Half a year has passed since the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) was forcibly terminated owing to the regrettable veto by Russia (see S/PV.9591). Since then, Russia has stepped up its military cooperation with North Korea, including by the recent development of the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia. We cannot just be silent, as we see continued violations and evasions of Security Council resolutions across a variety of arenas. Together with like-minded countries, Japan therefore decided to launch a new mechanism, the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, with a view to filling the significant void left by the termination of the Panel of Experts and to assisting in the full implementation of relevant Council resolutions. We discussed the issue last week (see S/PV.9767), but I must once again raise the point that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is of great concern to the international community. We have seen the malefaction of Russia’s procurement of ballistic missiles from North Korea, as well as the training of North Korean soldiers, both of which constitute serious violations of relevant Security Council resolutions. North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine constitutes a grave violation of international law, including the Charter. We carefully listened to the Russian and North Korean delegations at last week’s Security Council meeting on maintaining peace and security in Ukraine, at which they said that their cooperation can be justified as a right of sovereign States, but the recent unlawful military cooperation will never be justified in any case, at any time, anywhere in the world. North Korea has continued to ignore and deny its obligations by pursuing its military ambitions at the expense of the welfare of the people in North Korea even amid their great unmet needs. We should also not ignore North Korea’s violations and abuses of human rights, including those of abductees from Japan and detainees from the Republic of Korea. I conclude by once again strongly urging North Korea not to conduct further launches and immediately and fully comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as engage in diplomacy and accept the repeated offers to resume dialogue.

I begin by congratulating you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and thanking the delegation of Switzerland for steering our work in October. I also thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his informative and sobering briefing today. Malta joined the call for today’s meeting, following the latest provocation by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We firmly believe that the Security Council must stand united in condemning such dangerous acts, which constitute blatant violations of the Council’s resolutions. Last week, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It reportedly flew for 86 minutes, the longest ever recorded by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It also seems to have reached an altitude of more than 7,000 kilometres, which means that, if launched at a wider angle, such a missile could reach any place on Earth. That is a deeply worrisome advance in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea unlawful ballistic-missile programme, and it cannot go unanswered. Malta strongly condemns this most recent ICBM test by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We also condemn the deployment of troops and the provision of arms to Russia in support of its war of aggression against Ukraine, in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the fundamental principles of international law. Such actions are also in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions and pose a grave threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. When Council members came together to collectively tackle this grave threat to non-proliferation, a comprehensive set of sanctions was put in place. In contrast, the latest developments demonstrate that the Council’s inaction emboldens the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Earlier this year, the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) was terminated (see S/PV.9591). Since then, the dangerous actions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have gone unchecked. Although the Panel is gone, sanctions nevertheless remain in place and must continue to be fully implemented by all Member States. Any transfer of weapons, ammunition and related technology to and from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is illegal and must be condemned. Once again, we urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease its unlawful and dangerous behaviour, engage in meaningful dialogue and immediately comply with its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions. It must completely, verifiably and irreversibly abandon its nuclear and ballistic-missile programme and return immediately to full compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear weapon State. It is regrettable that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to prioritize its military build-up over the well-being of its people. Not only is the regime’s unlawful weapons-of-mass-destruction programme developed and accelerated through grave human rights violations, but its scarce resources are being diverted from addressing the real needs of the population. Malta remains deeply concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in the country, with more than 10 million people in need of assistance. We commend the work of the 1718 Committee, which aims to curb the military ambitions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while addressing the humanitarian needs of the population by establishing the mechanism for granting humanitarian exemptions. We reiterate our call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to allow the United Nations and other agencies into the country to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance. In conclusion, we once again reaffirm the need for a comprehensive and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. In order to achieve that, the Council must be united and send an unequivocal message to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

I join others in thanking Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing. We gather once again in this Chamber after having discussed the dispatch of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Russia just last week (see S/PV.9767). At that time, we expressed our serious concern and called on Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to stop their illegal military cooperation. However, our repeated calls for restraint were once again ignored by Pyongyang when North Korea launched another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) right after our meeting last Wednesday. Its intention could be to distract the world’s attention from its troops in Russia, demonstrate that they are larger than life or gain diplomatic leverage during the United States presidential election. Regardless of its intention, it was clearly an attempt to advance its missile technology, which makes the launch yet another flagrant violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. The Republic of Korea condemns it in the strongest possible terms. With its new solid-fuel ICBM, the so-called Hwasong-19, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea broke the record of its previous ICBM launches in terms of flight time — 86 minutes — and apogee  — approximately 7,700 kilometres. Kim Jong Un himself oversaw the launch at the site and said, “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will never change its policy of strengthening its nuclear forces”. The launch once again raises a fundamental question: how can an impoverished pariah regime continue to develop such diverse ballistic-missile programmes notwithstanding the rigorous Security Council sanctions regime? The answer is that there must be large loopholes enabling Democratic People’s Republic of Korea access to the equipment, materials and technology necessary to make progress on its programmes of its develop weapons of mass destruction. Some may point out that the Democratic People’s Republic’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes are an exemplary case of failure on the part of the Security Council. Rather, they are a textbook case of what the world will face when Member States do not fully implement Security Council resolutions. Upon joining the Security Council in January 2024, we proposed updating the prohibited-items lists maintained by the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime, pursuant to resolutions 2087 (2013) and 2094 (2013), which had been neglected for the previous several years. The lists are directly aimed at curbing North Korea’s programmes related to weapons of mass destruction. They do not impose additional sanctions. However, despite months of deliberation, the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) failed to update the lists owing to opposition from two permanent members of the Security Council. That is a good example of how large loopholes are created in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sanctions regime. We already saw Russia dissolve the Panel of Experts of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006). We also heard the Russian Foreign Minister then saying that he considers the denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to be a closed case. I have a very simple question: Cui bono? Obviously, it is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia, who have been continuing their illegal arms deals. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the only country that has conducted a nuclear test this century  — not once, but already six times. It is the also the only country that abused the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) by joining, then violating the Treaty from within and then announcing its withdrawal from the Treaty. No other United Nations Member State has rejected Security Council resolutions so shamelessly as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Once the NPT regime begins to erode and ultimately collapses, it will be extremely difficult to restore it. The repercussions will have a deep and lasting impact on international peace and security. And permanent members of the Security Council will not be immune to it, either. In that regard, we would like to bring to the attention of the Member States that the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a newly established multilateral mechanism to replace the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts, will assist the full implementation of United Nations sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by monitoring and reporting violations thereof. The Republic of Korea calls on all Member States to join such international efforts to fill the gap created by Russia’s veto on the renewal of the Panel’s mandate. Since I am sure that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea representative will soon repeat the erroneous and misleading arguments underpinned by the so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s security dilemma caused by the United States and the Republic of Korea, let me shed some light on the fallacies of that groundless narrative, often echoed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its few friends. The reality that North Korea has faced for a long time is, in fact, not a security dilemma, but a regime survival dilemma. It is about the constant struggle to sustain the family dynasty, spanning three generations. Pyongyang goes to great lengths, taking extreme and draconian measures to keep afloat the world’s most bizarre dictatorship, fully aware that it is ultimately unsustainable. That is why the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea constantly instils a fear of the outside and imposes the worst totalitarian ideology on its own people, while simultaneously isolating itself from the outside world. To that end, the regime has to fabricate and reinforce anti-United States, anti-Republic of Korea narratives and relentlessly develop nuclear weapons to take on the far more advanced opponents. Recently, we have seen more desperate and dangerous moves by Pyongyang. Earlier this year, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leader, Kim Jong Un, redefined the Republic of Korea — its fellow nation, sharing the same culture, heritage and language for thousands of years — suddenly, overnight, a foreign State. Last month, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea completely cut off the existing railways and roads linking the south and the north by exploding them. We know why — the regime has always feared direct contact with the outside world, in particular its neighbouring free and prosperous fellow nation. It fears what will happen if North Koreans continue to compare themselves to their brothers and sisters in the south. And now, the desperate Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is demanding more sacrifices from its own people by dispatching troops to Russia. The North Korean Foreign Minister even referred to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a just and holy war during her visit to Moscow last week. The union of these two desperate nations is exceptionally alarming, especially as they repeatedly disregard the Charter of the United Nations, violate Security Council resolutions and even possess nuclear weapons. The international community, including the Republic of Korea, stands ready to help the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but without solving its own regime survival dilemma, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea cannot extricate itself from the abyss. Provocations and the pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes will only aggravate Pyongyang’s hardship and dilemma. Pyongyang’s friends must help the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea help itself.

We thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing and welcome the participation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in our deliberations. Switzerland condemns the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, apparently of a new type, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ongoing development and operationalization of nuclear delivery systems, together with its nuclear programme, represents a threat to the entire international community. The test is taking place amid a tense security situation, and Switzerland is concerned about the risk of escalation inherent in such actions. The use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. We must step up our non-proliferation and disarmament efforts and uphold the nuclear taboo. In the face of these repeated challenges, we must not waver in our collective duty. That is why it is essential for the Council to assume its responsibilities. I would like to highlight three aspects in that regard. First, these launches are a violation of legally binding Security Council resolutions and, therefore, of international law. As such, it is our collective duty to condemn the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ballistic missile tests. The country must implement its obligations under the resolutions of the Council and to take concrete steps towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and related programmes. We recall that while the obligations arising from the resolutions apply, first and foremost, to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, they also apply to all other States, which are required to effectively implement the Security Council’s sanctions. In that respect, we are deeply concerned about reports of possible serious violations of Security Council resolutions by Russia, which we referred to last week (see S/PV.9767). Secondly, the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must not be left behind. Serious and systematic human rights violations and the impunity of the perpetrators must stop. There is a link between the nuclear programme and certain violations of those rights, and the Council should consider how it might further address that link. We welcome signs that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is easing its heavy restrictions in connection with the pandemic. Those restrictions should no longer be a major obstacle to humanitarian assistance. The opening of the country’s borders must go hand in hand with rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid. To achieve that, the entry of international personnel into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is essential. Thirdly, the Council and the United Nations, as a whole, have an important role to play in encouraging dialogue, de-escalation and the search for diplomatic solutions. There is a willingness to engage in dialogue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to support those dialogue efforts, and we welcome all attempts at exchanges between the parties and all de-escalation measures on their part. We encourage making use of the Secretary-General’s good offices and call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to engage in constructive dialogue with the Council and the United Nations system. Disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation have always been a priority for the United Nations and the Council, and in the framework of the Pact for the Future (General Assembly resolution 79/1), we have all committed to bolstering them and preventing the erosion of existing international norms. We must not fail in that task. To find a political solution, the Council must break its silence. To be effective, the call for dialogue must be articulated around a unified position. Switzerland encourages and supports all efforts in that direction. For its part, Switzerland will remain committed within the Council, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) and on the ground to a denuclearized and peaceful Korean Peninsula.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his briefing and welcome the participation of the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in this meeting. Guyana condemns the ongoing violations of Security Council resolutions. We remain alarmed by the continued launches of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including the recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 30 October. We note with concern that those launches not only increase the security threat to neighbouring countries, but also serve to undermine the global non-proliferation regime. We have seen in recent months the catastrophic consequences following the escalations of tensions in other regions and underscore the need to avoid a similar situation occurring on the Korean Peninsula and in the region at large. In that regard, Guyana once again calls upon the parties to engage in dialogue and diplomacy towards resolving the tensions and ensuring peace on the Peninsula. We urge the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply fully with all Council resolutions and to abandon its ballistic missile programme, along with all other existing weapons of mass destruction, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. Guyana remains firm in its conviction that the only way to prevent the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is through their total elimination. We reiterate our belief that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is key to achieving that objective and is critical for the furtherance of international peace and security. In conclusion, Guyana reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the Security Council resolutions relating to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including through support for the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006).

I would like to start by thanking the United Kingdom’s presidency for conveying this briefing and extend our appreciation to the United States, France, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia and the United Kingdom for requesting this meeting. I also wish to thank Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, for his comprehensive briefing on the topic under consideration. We acknowledge the presence of the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at this meeting. The complex dynamics of the situation on the Korean Peninsula necessitates careful and measured actions. We must emphasize that any unilateral measures and inflammatory rhetoric will only serve to escalate tensions. The latest developments and reports indicate that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conducted a test launch of an advanced new intercontinental ballistic missile, achieving unprecedented altitude and flight duration compared to previous launches. Subsequently, the United States, South Korea and Japan conducted trilateral military exercises to demonstrate their preparedness and determination to address North Korea’s advancing missile programmes. Those concerning developments have prompted increased scrutiny and condemnation from the international community, further escalating regional tensions. That situation highlights the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation and renewed commitment to diplomatic solutions. In that context, Mozambique urgently calls for and encourages genuine dialogue and mutual understanding among the parties to reduce tensions and build trust essential for achieving lasting stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region. While the immediate focus of this briefing centres on the Korean Peninsula, we must acknowledge that the broader discourse on non-proliferation and denuclearization among Member States has acquired unprecedented urgency, as diminishing trust between nations has led to accelerated nuclear militarization, posing a grave threat to international peace and security. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons remains the fundamental framework for global efforts to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and advance disarmament objectives. The potential of nuclear weapons and the devastating consequences of nuclear war remain unequivocally clear to the international community. To that end, it is imperative to comprehensively address the underlying political, security and humanitarian dimensions through diplomacy and constructive dialogue, while remaining cognizant of the legitimate security concerns of all parties. The ultimate goal of complete denuclearization requires genuine and sustained engagement from all parties. We therefore hope that diplomatic efforts will gain traction and ultimately yield enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. The Security Council and its members should play a crucial role in facilitating that process.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his informative briefing. Ecuador condemns the recent launching of an intercontinental ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as did the Secretary-General and the vast majority of the international community. My delegation expresses its solidarity with the peoples of the Republic of Korea and Japan given the risks they are facing with those types of launches. The most recent launch, given its duration and trajectory, confirms the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s improving capabilities in ballistic missile development, which is alarming. Ballistic missile tests constitute a serious threat to international peace and security. They are also a clear violation of multiple Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009) and 2397 (2017), and are therefore unjustified and cannot be normalized. The Council cannot remain indifferent to those provocative acts, which threaten regional and international stability. Ecuador has seen how this issue has been addressed in the past two years and notes the lack of consistency and unified voice of the Council in what must be a rejection of non-compliance with its resolutions on this matter. I therefore respectfully urge the members with greater influence on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to restore the commitment of all parties to avoid exacerbating tensions. Ecuador reaffirms its commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, especially disarmament and the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture. The complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is more urgent today than ever. For that reason, I conclude by reiterating Ecuador’s call to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and to return to the path of cooperation, dialogue in good faith and diplomacy.

I too thank Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, for his concise briefing. We welcome the participation of the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in this meeting. Sierra Leone is concerned about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-19, with a capability and range that pose serious regional and global security threats. The fact that the missile went higher and flew longer — a total of 86 minutes  — more than any previous attempt, is also deeply concerning. Additionally, statements by the country’s State officials  — including the Head of State, President Kim Jong Un — are especially troubling, referring to the weapon as its “final and ultimate ICBM” and that “the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces”. The current situation in the Korean Peninsula remains highly volatile, with potential for further escalation. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s long-range missile and nuclear programmes continue to pose serious challenges to peace and security in the region. We continue to urge the country to refrain from further escalatory measures and to engage in constructive dialogue aimed at de- escalation. The international community should remain committed to upholding peace and security in the region. We call upon all parties involved to prioritize diplomatic efforts and to work collaboratively towards a lasting resolution that addresses the underlying tensions. We also call on States with influence to engage the country’s authorities on working towards solutions for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Sierra Leone is of the firm view that a strong and unified Council response to the latest missile launch will reinforce our commitment to denuclearization and a peaceful resolution of conflicts, particularly in the Korean Peninsula. We stand ready to support all diplomatic initiatives and encourage the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to engage bilaterally and multilaterally to unequivocally commit to transparent, complete, verifiable, irreversible and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s blatant disregard and open violation of Security Council resolutions and the Charter of the United Nations undermines the authority of the Organization and remains a significant challenge for the international community. While efforts over the years have not succeeded in convincing authorities to comply with the global safeguards and de facto international norm against nuclear testing, a strong independent verification mechanism is still necessary to ensure that the country meets its international obligations. In that regard, we wish to recall the importance of the work and report (see S/2024/215) of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) and the regrettable non-renewal of the Panel’s mandate. We take note of the creation of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team for implementation of Security Council resolutions regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with the stated goal “to assist [with] the full implementation of United Nations sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by publishing information based on rigorous inquiry into sanctions violations and evasion attempts”. Additionally, we reiterate our call for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty entry into force, noting its valuable contribution to halting further modernization and increase in vertical and horizontal proliferation of nuclear weapons, thereby advancing the goal of nuclear disarmament. We conclude by echoing our previous call for the need for a holistic and comprehensive assessment of the nuclear programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, drawing upon the global effort for non-proliferation to promote international peace and security. As Sierra Leone reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the principles of disarmament, non-proliferation and international peace and security, we reiterate our support for diplomatic efforts towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Korean Peninsula.

I too wish to thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing. Let me make a couple of points on behalf of my delegation. First, Slovenia strongly condemns the 31 October launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That is a blatant violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has demonstrated numerous times that it simply does not care about Security Council actions. This is a country that illegally developed nuclear weapons and has demonstrated, with the latest launch, that it can deliver them virtually anywhere in the northern hemisphere. This is a clear and provocative threat to peace and security in the region and worldwide. Security Council resolutions are binding and must be implemented. They are not guidelines that can be unilaterally dropped when they do not fit the contemporary political agenda. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must ensure their implementation, abandon its programmes of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and cease all related activities. Secondly, Slovenia is gravely concerned about the trajectory that the North Korean non-proliferation issue is taking. Throughout the past year, the situation has steadily worsened. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has shown an increasing disregard of rules and has continued with ballistic missiles tests and satellite launches; the work of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) was single-handedly put to an end with a veto; evidence of the use in Ukraine of ballistic missiles originating in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea surfaced; deeply concerning statements about the country’s nuclear status were uttered and; to top it off, reports of the country’s troop deployment to Europe emerged. We desperately need a change of course. It would be too easy to point a finger at just one member of the Council whose actions have been particularly damaging to the situation. However, I am looking at all the Council members here  — it is our collective responsibility to uphold international peace and security, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s activities are clearly undermining it. The status quo we are experiencing is conducive only to the expansion of the country’s illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programme. It is our duty to employ all diplomatic means to bring the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea back to the negotiating table. It is high time for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease its provocative activities and return to dialogue and diplomacy. There is no legitimate alternative. The sooner we all realize that, the faster we will be able to comprehensively address the imperative of the country’s denuclearization.

I congratulate the United Kingdom for assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing and welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at today’s meeting. China has taken note of the recent launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its relevant statements, as well as the reactions of other parties. The current situation on the Peninsula remains tense, with growing antagonism and confrontation, which is not in the interest of any party. As a close neighbour of the Peninsula, China hopes for peace and stability on the Peninsula and does not wish to see any turbulence, war or chaos there. China calls on all parties to bear in mind the overall peace and stability on the Peninsula and the world at large, exercise calm and restraint, avoid intensifying and escalating tensions and make joint efforts to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible. The long-standing and complex issue of the Peninsula is in essence a security issue. Its root cause is the cold war vestiges, the absence of a peace mechanism and the lack of mutual trust between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It is imperative for all parties to take a rational and pragmatic approach and work to build mutual trust, so as to create a conducive atmosphere for de-escalating the situation. To fundamentally resolve the Peninsula issue, China, maintaining impartiality and objectivity, proposed a dual-track approach and the principle of phased and synchronized steps, which remains realistic and feasible under the current situation. Regrettably, a certain country, obsessed with the cold war mentality and zero-sum game logic, has been vigorously pursuing its geopolitical strategies, strengthening military alliances and provoking bloc confrontations. Those moves run counter to the historic mission of realizing the transition from armistice to a peace mechanism on the Peninsula and to the common aspiration for stability, cooperation and development of countries in the region. It is particularly important to note that the United States, while claiming that it wants to uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and denuclearize the Peninsula, has continued to increase the deployment of its strategic forces, strengthened the extended deterrence arrangement on the Peninsula and even transferred tons of weapon-grade highly enriched uranium to a non-nuclear-weapon State under the nuclear submarine cooperation framework of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The United States has also deployed an intermediate range missile system in the Philippines and seeks to further expand the deployment to North-East Asia. Those moves are tantamount to pushing the threat to the doorstep of China and other countries in the region, seriously jeopardizing regional security and upsetting the strategic security balance. We urge the United States to immediately cease those dangerous and wrong moves and to withdraw and abandon relevant deployment. China always believes that the Security Council should play a constructive role on the Peninsula issue and take concrete measures to de-escalate the situation and enhance mutual trust, rather than simply imposing sanctions and pressure. Under the current circumstances, the Security Council needs unity, not division. It needs to promote dialogue and not just for the sake of doing so and still less to intensify antagonism. The countries concerned should come up with concrete actions and feasible proposals and make effective efforts to advance the political settlement of the Peninsula issue, rather than using the Security Council to intensify confrontations. I would like to reiterate that a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula serves the common interests of all parties concerned and meets the broad expectations of the international community. China, as a close neighbour of the Peninsula and a responsible major country, will continue to play a constructive role in its own way in maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and realizing lasting peace and stability in North-East Asia.

We welcome the participation in this meeting of the Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We listened closely to the briefing by Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari. We are compelled to note that once again it has not provided any substantive evaluation of the events. In Korean affairs, the collective West has been methodically using the Security Council platform to present Pyongyang as the sole actor responsible for the deterioration of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The Secretariat has also played a role in creating that distorted image by ignoring the external context of events. Even in the current, very acute phase of the developments on the Korean Peninsula, United Nations officials prefer to repeat the same arguments, criticizing Pyongyang while turning a blind eye to provocations by its opponents. In so doing, they are becoming complicit in that negative turn of events. We did not expect to hear, nor did we hear, anything new from the group of countries that requested today’s meeting. The purpose of convening such meetings is the same every time  — to take yet another step towards demonizing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It would be interesting to hear from those who requested the meeting as to whether any of these meetings has contributed to addressing the problems on the Peninsula. Have they voiced over this period even one constructive proposal aimed at creating conditions for launching dialogue? The answer is obvious to everyone in this Chamber. Creating negative buzz around Pyongyang, keeping the ineffective sanctions measures afloat and justifying aggressive steps by the United States and its allies in the region — those are the real motives of those who requested today’s meeting. I would just like to recall that those objectives have nothing to do with the mandate of the Security Council. On the contrary, through such actions our colleagues are only directly undermining the work of the Security Council, which, according to the Charter of the United Nations, is called on to maintain international peace and security. Washington and other concerned parties could just as successfully continue their propaganda through the media outlets and non-governmental organizations that they control. The missile tests that have sent shock waves through Washington, Tokyo and Seoul did not emerge out of thin air, nor are they happening in the infamous vacuum. They cannot be viewed separately from the aggressive plans of the United States and its satellites in the region. Namely, I am referring to the large-scale military manoeuvres accompanied by the deployment of United States strategic capabilities, to joint nuclear planning by the United States and the Republic of Korea with the simulation of nuclear strikes on the territory of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to the forming of the Washington-Seoul-Tokyo military- political triangle. Let us look at the actions of the United States of America and its allies in North-East Asia just in the past weeks. On 28 October, the United States, Australia and the Republic of Korea launched the unprecedentedly large joint air exercises called Freedom Flag. Those manoeuvres involve hundreds of aircraft, ground forces, marines and special forces. Simultaneously, the Republic of Korea is continuing its large-scale Hoguk exercises involving its national armed forces and United States military units. At the same time, from the south in the direction of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, dangerous provocations involving military drones are ongoing; there have been more than 230 sorties into North Korean air space in the past three months, in violation of the country’s sovereignty. Those aggressive measures are being taken in addition to now regular Freedom Shield and Freedom Edge exercises. It is worth recalling that those manoeuvres have consistently involved rehearsals of scenarios of a hypothetical armed conflict involving the use of nuclear weapons and the physical elimination of the North Korean leadership. Apart from military campaigns, Pyongyang’s opponents continue to exert all kinds of political and economic pressure on it in violation of the Charter of the United Nations. For many years, illegal Western unilateral sanctions have directly negatively impacted the lives of ordinary people. The Council’s restrictions are frozen in time and do not reflect the Peninsula’s problems. All proposals by Russia and China to update the Security Council measures have been repeatedly rejected and are likely to continue to be rejected, since they do not correspond to the United States interests aimed at steadily suffocating Pyongyang. We regret that our long-standing friends and partners in Seoul are rapidly losing their independence under pressure from Washington, thereby jeopardizing their own national interests. It appears that they have also gotten dragged into Washington’s dangerous adventures to increase the supply of Western arms to Kyiv, which it desperately needs owing to its huge losses on the battlefield. It is telling that it was specifically the subject of Ukraine that became one of the main topics addressed during the Camp David format consultations of the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and South Korea that took place on 25 October. It seems that while conducting an aggressive policy on the Korean Peninsula, the Americans are simultaneously trying to achieve their goal to mobilize its allies against Russia. That says a great deal about America’s true motives vis-a-vis the subregion. We urge our South Korean colleagues to come to their senses and not to embark on an extremely dangerous path that will lead to no good for Seoul, particularly since, according to South Korean surveys, the clear majority of the country’s population does not support sending arms to Ukraine. The policy of creating a sort of managed tension on the Korean Peninsula is presented by the authorities in Washington as routine measures to ensure the security of the United States and its allies. However, the United States authorities do not want to acknowledge the simple truth that the security of one State cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of another one — neither in Europe nor in Asia. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s leadership has every right to take steps to ensure the security and sovereignty of their country. The 19 June Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is designed to play a stabilizing role in the region on the basis of the principle of the indivisibility of security, as well as to lower the risk of the Peninsula’s relapsing into war, including one involving the use of nuclear weapons. The Treaty is intended to become one of the elements of a resilient security architecture in the region. The provisions of the Treaty, including article 4, on mutual assistance in the event of an armed attack, will be fully implemented, if necessary. The Treaty is consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, and the measures that can be taken to implement it are a matter for bilateral relations between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Neither do we intend to support unbalanced initiatives in the Security Council premised on the condemnation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or giving it sole responsibility for exacerbating the crisis on the Peninsula. It is no surprise that some Security Council members have again today repeated their speculations about the deployment of some North Korean military units to Russia. Moreover, in reports of some Western- controlled media, the figures of personnel present in Russia are rising day by day, apace with the growing fear and concern in their countries. The Secretary-General also made a misleading statement about those reports. It is surprising that he is now playing into the hands of the West by internationalizing the Ukrainian conflict, but has never voiced the same level of concern about the ever-growing arsenal of increasingly long-range Western weapons sent to Ukraine or discussions about whether they can be used to strike deep into Russian territory, not to mention the practice of sending military personnel of NATO countries into the conflict zone in Ukraine. That is despite the fact that it is well known that there are hundreds, if not thousands of NATO soldiers there — not mercenaries, but instructors and officers responsible for the use of high-precision weaponry or armed drones in the Black Sea. Or has anyone seen any statements from the Secretariat expressing concern about supplies of American weapons to the area of Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Western countries are repeating their arguments, claiming that it is a different thing. However, do they realize that these glaring double standards and such a brazen show of exceptionalism and high-handedness are clear for the entire international community to see? Returning to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, we would like to note once again that the Security Council must fundamentally revise its approaches in order to get the situation out of this dangerous stalemate and not make it worse. We have repeatedly said where we could begin this movement towards normalization. But for that to happen, Western capitals need to radically recalibrate their thinking, which, in intellectual terms, is stuck somewhere in the cold war era. That is evidenced, in particular, by the attempts of a narrow group of countries to breathe some life into the so-called unified command, which is a stillborn relic of a bygone era. Similarly, there are all sorts of Western- centric gatherings and groupings that are endowing themselves with regulatory and supervisory functions, including to the detriment of the Charter prerogatives of the Security Council. All of that is a manifestation of the chronic flaws of the West’s colonial policy in Asia, which it must abandon.

At the outset, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Mr. Khaled Khiari for his valuable briefing, and I welcome the Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to this meeting. The recent developments in the Korean Peninsula reflect today’s complexities as the behaviour of one party leads to repercussions that affect others, security concerns intermingle with humanitarian needs and the path towards peace grows increasingly convoluted. The launching of an intercontinental ballistic missile on 31 October has sparked widespread concerns within the international community. That, in turn, has deepened tensions in a clearly fragile region and has threatened the foundations of the non-proliferation framework. In that context, however, there is a need to look at the bigger picture, namely, the trend, in the region, towards increased armaments, large-scale military exercises and the deployment of strategic equipment. All of those fuel escalation that serves the interests of no one. We are witnessing a trend that may lead to an uncontrollable escalation, thus threatening to set the entire region ablaze. We also see a humanitarian situation that requires urgent intervention. History has taught us that conflicts exact a high price and that dialogue is able to achieve the desired transformation. Three main principles must guide our efforts towards the future. First, military escalation will not achieve the desired solution. Secondly, sanctions alone cannot create a sustainable peace. Thirdly, dialogue, no matter how difficult, is the solid path towards a solution. Unfortunately, the reality that we are facing is grim. Military tensions are constantly on the rise, humanitarian needs are multiplying and becoming more urgent, diplomatic channels are being underutilized and civilians are bearing the brunt of the situation. That reality must change. Several practical measures should therefore be taken. First, all parties must work to alleviate tensions and to immediately scale back military activities in the region. Secondly, diplomatic contacts should be resumed and dialogue should take place, with no preconditions. Thirdly, humanitarian channels must be promoted and protected. Fourthly, confidence-building measures should be applied. Fifthly, fully inclusive mechanisms for regional dialogue must be established. Those are not simply aspirations, but requirements if we are to achieve peace. We cannot ignore the humanitarian dimension. Every day that passes without peace is another day where the suffering of civilians increases. Every day that people cannot meet their basic necessities is another day where humanitarian aid workers are unable to perform their vital role. That situation is unsustainable. We stand firmly against any actions that violate Security Council resolutions and reject any steps that threaten international security, but we also recognize that peace cannot be achieved through sanctions alone. Our common goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a comprehensive, verifiable and irreversible manner. However, that goal must be pursued by peaceful means, and dialogue remains an essential tool to that end. We call on all parties to avoid escalation, to choose dialogue instead of confrontation, to prioritize diplomacy over show of force and to place the interest of the peoples above all. The path forward is clear, despite the difficulties. It requires courage to choose dialogue in the face of tensions, patience when progress appears to be slow and commitment when obstacles seem insurmountable. That is the only path to lasting peace. The choice is ours. Let us choose peace over constant escalation. Tension is not inevitable, and peace is not out of reach.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. I would like to start by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing today. The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch. This was the longest launch ever conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, lasting 86 minutes. This is yet another egregious violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. It shows that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to advance its illegal nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes, posing a clear threat to global peace and security. In 2024 alone, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has recklessly launched one failed satellite, two intermediate-range ballistic missiles and at least 36 short-range ballistic missiles. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea also attempted to launch one multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle. Year by year, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea flaunts its growing nuclear capabilities. Yet still some Council members prevent us from speaking out with one voice. That strategy of silence has failed. It is time for us to act, to defend the global non-proliferation architecture, to uphold the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to deliver on the mandate of the Council to address the most pressing threats to peace and security. It is less than a week since we discussed the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s flagrant violations of Security Council resolutions. The Russian Foreign Minister alarmingly said that “applying the term denuclearization to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea no longer makes any sense. This is off the table.” That statement of fiction, alongside Russia’s veto of the Panel of Experts of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) earlier this year (see S/PV.9591), has emboldened the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to continue its unlawful behaviour, knowing it has impunity from a permanent member of the Council. Therefore, I call on Russia and all members of the Council to condemn the launch and restate their commitment to implementing all relevant Council resolutions. I urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abandon its illegal nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes, which are diverting resources away from improving the lives of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s people. The United Kingdom is committed to securing peace on the Korean Peninsula. We call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to take up repeated offers from the United States and the Republic of Korea towards dialogue. Diplomacy is the only route to sustained peace on the peninsula. I resume my functions as President of the Council I now give the floor to the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

On 4 June, exactly five months ago today, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched by one of the permanent members of the Security Council present here in the Chamber, and it landed in the Pacific Ocean. Yet, the Security Council did not regard that weapons test as a threat to international peace and security. On 31 October, the test-fire of the ICBM Hwasongpho-19 was conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea within the area around the Korean Peninsula, and it did not have the slightest negative impact on the security of the neighbouring countries. Notwithstanding that, the Security Council, at the request of the United States, the perpetrator of the aforementioned ICBM launch, and its satellite forces convened this meeting today to take issue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ICBM test-fire. It runs entirely counter to the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, with sovereign equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of States at its core, and it sets an example of an extreme double standard. I resolutely denounce the holding of another unlawful meeting by the Security Council, infringing on the legitimate sovereign right of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, at the instigation of the United States and its followers. As with all the strategic weapon tests we have conducted so far, the test launch of our ICBM Hwasongpho-19 this time is part of an exercise of the just and legitimate right to self-defence to reliably safeguard the security of our State, as well as the peace of the region and the world, against the escalating reckless nuclear war threat of hostile forces, Some countries are now talking about a violation of resolutions. They always regard sanctions resolutions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a cure-all prescription. However, those resolutions are nothing but illegal documents that run counter to the principle of sovereign equality of the Charter of the United Nations, as they stipulate that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is prohibited from conducting ballistic missile launches, which the United States and many other countries do regularly. It is indeed extremely illogical and cannot be understood with common sense that the just and legitimate exercise of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s right to self-defence, which caused no harm to its neighbouring States, is disparaged, whereas the inhumane atrocities committed by Israel, which massacred tens of thousands of civilians in the Gaza Strip and turned the whole Middle East into a sheer hell by expanding the battlefields to Lebanon and Iran, are justified as an exercise of the right self-defence. The United States and the Republic of Korea stage war drills involving strategic nuclear assets while recklessly throwing about hysterical phrases such as the “end of regime”. Those military provocations are indeed a threat to global peace and security and should be addressed by the Security Council without delay, as they constitute dangerous acts that invite the disaster of a nuclear war on and around the Korean Peninsula. In the here and now, the anti-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea confrontational schemes undertaken by the United States and its satellite forces on the Korean Peninsula are more reckless, provocative and dangerous than at any other time in history. The United States-Republic of Korea alliance, with its 70- year crime-ridden history, has evolved today into a nuclear-based military bloc and a nuclear war alliance in name and reality. It led to the qualitative change in terms of the nuclear threat to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the security environment of the Korean Peninsula. It opened up wider possibilities for a nuclear war. Moreover, tripartite joint military exercises of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea targeting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have been conducted on a regular and systematic basis starting this year. The illegal and unlawful United Nations Command in the Republic of Korea is being reformed into a practical war command. That worrisome reality is a testament to who the destroyers of the security environment of the Korean Peninsula are. It would be an extreme case of double-standards and a blatant infringement on our national sovereignty and dignity if the international community were to turn a blind eye to the excessive military manoeuvres of the countries hostile to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea but instead make an issue of our just and legitimate exercise of the right to self-defence to deter them. Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said that the only reliable, secure and durable peace is one that can be defended by a strength powerful enough to control and deter the enemy, and therein lies the simple formula guaranteeing the peace and future of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its people. The prevailing security environment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the ever- increasing prospect of threats and challenges require us to make sustained efforts to maintain and enhance strategic power capable of deterring the enemy and controlling the situation in a responsible way. It is an immutable law proven by history that the destruction of the balance of power inevitably gives rise to war. It is only natural and logical, in view of the balance-of- power theory, to steadily grow military supremacy to deter ongoing external threats. We will accelerate and persist in the build-up of our nuclear forces to be able to counter any threat presented by the hostile nuclear- weapon States. There will never be any change in that line. As a responsible nuclear weapon State, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will, in future, discharge its responsibility and fulfil its role in safeguarding the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, North-East Asia and the rest of the world and in establishing an independent and peaceful international order, based on respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, justice and equality.

The representative of the United States of America has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I apologize for taking the floor a second time, but I must address a few points that have been raised today. First and foremost, for those who may not be aware, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is under sanctions by the Security Council, not the United States. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea representative said just now that today’s meeting of the Council is illegal. The Council is not, as he maintains, holding an illegal meeting. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is on the Council’s agenda. It is sanctioned by the Council. I would therefore just say to the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that he should read the Charter of the United Nations, and if he needs a copy of it, we can certainly get one for him. To address a couple of points that were raised by the representative of China earlier with regard to engagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the United States has repeatedly offered to have unconditional talks with the Democratic People’s Republic. Every time we have made that point and reached out our hand, it has been met by a clinched fist. To our Russian colleague, I would remind her that the issue of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is being raised in a Security Council meeting again because the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea poses a threat to international peace and security. Russia has agreed to resolutions that clearly identified the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a threat to international peace and security. The situation with regard to the Democratic People’s Republic has only worsened. We therefore think it is important for the Council to convene to discuss the issues related thereto. My Chinese colleague raised the issue of the Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS) partnership. AUKUS has not engaged in any type of activity that runs counter to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He knows that. That issue has been raised before, and we have addressed it very clearly. I would agree with our Chinese colleague that the Council should provide a unified message and position on the question of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The problem has been, at least for the past two years, that Russia and China have prevented the Council from issuing any kind of document on the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic. In fact, we have tried several times to get just the basic factual elements out to the press, and China and Russia have not agreed to do that. With regard to United States military exercises with its allies, as we have said many times, those exercises are defensive in nature. They are transparent, long- standing and do not pose a threat to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Again, we have repeatedly offered to hold talks with the Democratic People’s Republic, and those offers have been rejected. I would also say to our Russian and Chinese friends that, with the trajectory of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear-weapon and ballistic- missile programmes, they cannot expect the United States to stand back and allow that type of growing threat to our security to go without a response, so we will continue to take measures that are necessary to protect our security and that of our allies. The issue of sanctions has been raised. We believe in having unconditional talks with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but we are not going to reward it for coming back to the table by giving it something. What kind of a message would that send to would-be proliferators in future? My last point last week (see S/PV.9769)  — and this was an issue that was raised this morning by the representative of the Russian Federation — is the issue of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea troops in Russia. I asked the Russian representative whether or not there are Democratic People’s Republic of Korea troops in Russia. I did not receive any response at all. I ask the question again today only because the issue was raised by the representative of the Russian Federation: are there Democratic People’s Republic of Korea troops in Russia?

The representative of China has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

The Korean issue has been a protracted one for years. The core is the conflict between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the key to solving the problem lies in the hands of the United States. In fact, what has happened over the years has given us ample reason to question whether or not the United States really wants to ease the situation on the Peninsula, or rather whether it intends to use the Peninsula as an excuse to achieve its greater geopolitical aims. If the United States sincerely wants to break the current deadlock, it should know what to do. It should abandon its erroneous practices of bloc politics, provoking bloc confrontations, conducting military exercises at will and constantly exerting deterrence and pressure. Only in this way can we promote the de-escalation of the situation on the Peninsula and create conditions for the peaceful resolution of the crisis through dialogue. As for the voice of the Council, China has stated our position many times. The Council’s approach to the question of the Peninsula should be to ease tensions and conflict rather than exacerbating them. Calling for pressure or sanctions alone does not help to ease the situation and will lead only to it escalating or even spiralling out of control. We are therefore opposed to that approach. As to the matter of the Australia, United Kingdom and United States partnership, on many occasions, China has made its position clear — a position no doubt supported by many Member States — that the agreement among the three countries runs counter to the purposes and principles of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and will set a very dangerous precedent. We once again call on the three countries in question — the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia  — to act prudently and seek to avoid exacerbating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and undermining global non-proliferation efforts. Lastly, I note that Ambassador Wood did not respond to my question about the United States of installation of land-based missiles in the Philippines. I would like to emphasize once again that land- based missiles are offensive weapons, which, once deployed, could easily entail strategic miscalculations, significantly increasing a sense of insecurity on the part of countries of the region and heightening the risk of a regional arms race and military conflict, thereby ultimately jeopardizing collective security interests of countries, including those of the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. We hope that the United States will heed the voices of the countries in the region, rectify its approach and completely abandon its plan to install land-based missiles in the Asia-Pacific region. We also hope that the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region will play a constructive role in that regard.

The representative of the Russian Federation has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I would like to respond briefly to the remarks made by the representative of the United States and urge him to listen attentively to our statements in the Security Council. Today we presented our assessment of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, set out our view on today’s meeting and also responded to questions on cooperation between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We expressed our concerns about the situation on the Korean Peninsula and pointed out that the United States and its allies are the main source of that tension and are causing the situation to escalate to a dangerous degree. In order to make our arguments clearer to the representative of the United States, I will send our statement to him personally as soon as it is translated into English.

The representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has asked for the floor to make a further statement. I now give him the floor.

I want to take the floor to respond to the comments made by the United States delegation. All the resolutions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea so far adopted at the Security Council have been deliberately fabricated by the United States in application of its hostile policy towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and are without legal basis. Those resolutions are simply the product of a hostile policy. We therefore neither recognize nor accept those resolutions. I would add that today’s meeting is also unlawful. All military action undertaken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile, are part of the exercise of its legitimate and inalienable rights as a sovereign State so as to safeguard its sovereignty and national interests from the nuclear threat of the United States. The nuclear threat that the United States poses to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is now already at a critical point in terms of scale and danger. In fact, the security landscape of the Korean Peninsula has entered an increasingly dangerous phase as a result of the reckless joint military exercises by the United States and the Republic of Korea, the expansion of the military bloc led by the United States and its evolution into a nuclear-based bloc. To be specific, last year, the United States formed the Nuclear Consultative Group, whose mission is to jointly plan, operate and execute a nuclear attack against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Evidence of that was seen this year, in July, when the United States, together with the Republic of Korea, signed a nuclear programme entitled “Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula”. Further, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea have jointly adopted the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework. This year alone, the United States and the Republic of Korea have conducted as many as 13 large-scale joint military exercises against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under various code names, such as Ulchi Freedom Shield, Freedom Edge, Freedom Flag, Ssangyong and the “combined joint fire annihilation drill”. They are mobilizing all manner of sophisticated offensive weapons systems and have even simulated a nuclear-war drill against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Furthermore, under the pretext of strengthening the alliance, the United States continues to incrementally expand its political-military bloc approach, using the code and square system. The reckless moves by the United States are pushing the current situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war. Given that the Security Council is the organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security, it should therefore consider that issue first.

The representative of the United States has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I will be very brief. I greatly appreciate the offer from the representative of the Russian Federation to obtain a copy of her statement, but that really is not necessary. I heard the statement, as did others in this room, but the one question that the statement does not address remains: whether there are Democratic People’s Republic of Korea troops on the ground in Russia. My question still stands. I hope that the representative of the Russian Federation will answer that simple question.

The representative of the Russian Federation has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

We in this Chamber are not in court, so I do not intend to respond to questions put forward by the United States in the form of an interrogation.