US, 10 other countries condemn North Korea’s missile launch

By Joseph Ayinde

The United States and 10 other countries have condemned North Korea’s renewed missile test over the weekend.

The US, Albania, Australia, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and Britain said in a joint statement released Monday that Pyongyang “violated multiple Security Council resolutions.’’

The council resolutions follow the March 5 launch of what they characterised as a ballistic missile.

The 11 countries also criticized the UN Security Council itself, saying it “continues to remain silent’’ as North Korea escalates its destabilizing actions.

“Each ballistic missile launch that results in inaction by the Council erodes the credibility of the UN Security Council itself in addressing the DPRK and undermines the global non-proliferation regime,’’ the joint statement read.

The UN’s most powerful body was recently unable to reach an agreement on a common stance on North Korea’s recent activities, in part due to resistance from Russia and China.

According to its neighbours South Korea and Japan, Pyongyang, on Saturday, fired a ballistic missile towards the open sea, the ninth North Korean missile test since the beginning of the year.

North Korea said that the launch, which came just four days before South Korea’s presidential election, was part of the development of a “reconnaissance satellite.’’

UN resolutions prohibit North Korea, a self-declared nuclear power, from testing ballistic missiles, some of which can carry a nuclear warhead.

Pyongyang has been ratcheting up tensions with a series of missile launches since the start of this year.