UNITED NATIONS: The United States, supported by Britain and France, has asked the U.N. Security Council to meet behind the unrestricted- doors on Thursday over North Korea’s launch of an intermediate-range ballistic bullet, diplomats said on Tuesday.
North Korea verified on Monday it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic bullet, the same armament it had formerly hovered to target the U.S. home of Guam with, sparking fears the nuclear-fortified state could renew long-range testing.
The launch of the intermediate-range ballistic bullet was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday. It was the seventh test conducted by North Korea last month and the first time a nuclear-able bullet of that size has been launched since 2017.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the launch and prompted Pyongyang “to desist from taking any farther counter-productive conduct,” a U.N. spokesperson said.
“This is a breaking of the DPRK’s blazoned doldrums in 2018 on launches of this nature, and a clear violation of Security Council resolution,” said deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq, using the sanctioned name for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
“It’s of great concern that the DPRK has again disregarded any consideration for transnational flight or maritime safety,” Haq added in a statement.
Since 2006, North Korea has been subordinated to U.N. warrants, which the Security Council has strengthened over the times in trouble to target backing for Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic bullet programs.
China and Russia last month delayed a U.S. shot to put U.N. warrants on five North Koreans, diplomats said.
