Today, the UN Security Council convened for an urgent meeting on the launch of yet another intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) by the DPRK on 6 January. The briefing was held at the request of Slovenia and others. Slovenia condemned the latest test, which directly violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and threatens international and regional peace and security.

“The DPRK’s persistent pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime,” Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari warned in the meeting.

Deputy Permanent Representative Ondina Blokar Drobič stressed that the DPRK must abandon its illegal WMD and ballistic missile programs and implement Security Council resolutions. “To maintain international peace and security, denuclearization of the DPRK remains imperative,” she added.

A series of escalatory steps by the DPRK are worrisome, namely the most recent fourth launch of an IRBM since the beginning of 2024, the reported transfers of weapons, deployment of its troops to Europe and continuous development of nuclear weapons. For that reason, de-escalation on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of talks are critical. Given that diplomatic means are the only pathway to lasting peace, the DPRK must return to the negotiating table.

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