North Korea’s recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) poses a “grave threat to regional stability,” the UN warned on Monday.
Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, informed the UN Security Council that North Korea has conducted at least 11 ICBM launches since it announced a five-year military expansion plan in 2021.
“The DPRK’s latest ICBM launch is deeply concerning and poses a serious threat to stability in the region,” Khiari stated, adding that despite repeated UN appeals in 2023 and 2024, North Korea has continued these tests.
Khiari stressed that North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and missile capabilities directly violates UN Security Council resolutions, undercutting global efforts to reduce nuclear arms. He urged for “practical steps to ease tensions and shift from this dangerous path” and called on member states to support a climate for dialogue.
Following the launch, North Korea announced it had tested an “ultimate version” of the Hwasongpho-19 ICBM, which prompted joint military exercises by South Korean and U.S. forces.
This escalation on the Korean Peninsula aligns with recent claims by South Korea, the U.S., and NATO that North Korean troops may be stationed in Russia.
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