UN Chief Condemns North Korea Launch Of Another Missile
United Nations SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the launch of another “ballistic missile of possible intercontinental range” by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The UN chief said that “this is again a manifest violation of Security Council resolutions,” UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.
“The DPRK leadership must com- ply fully with its international obligations and work together with the international community to resolve the outstanding issues on the Korean Peninsula,” said Haq.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call on North Korea’s leadership to respond to South Korea’s proposals to reopen communication channels, particularly military-to-military, to lower the risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding and reduce tensions, he said. The Pentagon said on Friday that an initial assessment showed the missile launched by North Korea earlier on the day was an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The missile traveled about 1000 kilometers before splashing down into the sea, said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis in a statement. The Pentagon was working on a more detailed assessment, Davis said.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said they estimate that the intercontinental ballistic missile launched this time was more advanced than the one launched last month based on the range it traveled. However, a Russian Defence Ministry official said Moscow’s data indicated Friday’s launch was only a medium-range ballistic missile, Russian news agency Tass reported.