“The rocket launch (…) is part of a pattern of provocations by North Korea,” said the UN ambassadors of council members France, Ireland and Estonia on Wednesday. They called on the country to abide by the UN sanctions that have been imposed on it. The representatives of the USA and Great Britain made similar statements. The most powerful UN body met in New York on Wednesday to discuss the situation behind closed doors. However, there was initially no joint statement.
North Korea’s government had a ballistic missile tested for the eighth time this year on Tuesday. As the state news agency KCNA reported, the latest missile is said to be a submarine-based ballistic missile “new type”, which “brings the country’s defense technology to a high level and improves the underwater operational capability of our navy.”
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, which, depending on their design, can also carry a nuclear warhead. The country, which is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program, caused unrest last month with a series of tests. Among other things, North Korea launched a so-called hypersonic missile, according to its own information. Because of their high speed, weapons of this type are difficult to intercept. In addition, North Korea recently fired two short-range missiles.