The United States led the international condemnation of North Korea after it launched on Sunday a long-range rocket as part of its planned development of intercontinental ballistic missile technologies that came about exactly a month after its nuclear test.
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was called on Sunday to deliberate on what the United States called “a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions related to the DPRK use of ballistic missile technology”.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the launch “deeply deplorable”. A spokesman for Ban said: “The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the DPRK to halt its provocative actions and return to compliance with its international obligations.”
Calling it “a major provocation”, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the North Korean action threatens not only the security of the Korean peninsula, but of the whole region and the United States as well.
“We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan. We will continue to work with our partners and members of the UN Security Council on significant measures to hold the DPRK to account,” Kerry said in a statement.
Kerry said it was time to deal with Nork Korea in a firm and united way, with measures that make clear the determination of the international community to IJaddress the reclusive nation’s pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.
US National Security Advisor Susan Rice said the launch using ballistic missile technology “represents yet another destabilizing and provocative action and is a flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions”.
“North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programs represent serious threats to our interests--including the security of some of our closest allies--and undermine peace and security in the broader region,” she said.