The European Union (EU) on Wednesday condemned the North Korean launch of a missile carrying a reconnaissance satellite that crashed in waters off the western coast of the Korean peninsula.
“North Korea’s continued and utter disregard for its obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions threatens regional and international peace and security,” the European bloc said in a foreign policy statement.
“It is critical that all members of the United Nations, especially members of the Security Council, speak out and show that such actions will never be accepted,” he added.
“The EU urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease all actions that increase tensions and instead to choose the path of dialogue with the main parties,” the note reads.
North Korea announced on Wednesday that the space rocket launched Wednesday morning (Tuesday 10:30 p.m. in Lisbon) with a reconnaissance satellite on board fell into the Yellow Sea due to a technical malfunction and will soon attempt another launch of this type.
The North Korean launch triggered anti-missile alerts in Seoul, South Korea and the southwestern Japanese island of Okinawa, where the projectile is believed to have flown over.
North Korea’s launch of a satellite violates UN Security Council resolutions banning the country from using ballistic technology, which is considered a cover for missile testing.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned North Korea on Tuesday that any launch using ballistic missile technology would violate UN Security Council resolutions.
Source: DN
