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7932nd Security Council Meeting: Non-proliferation; DPRK
'Peril is real' stresses Japan and Republic of Korea, as China, United States and Russian Federation differ over nature of action needed.
The absence of communication with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, especially military-to-military channels, was dangerous, the Secretary-General warned the Security Council today, emphasizing the need to lower the risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding.
“I am alarmed by the risk of a military escalation in the region,” he said as the 15-member Council debated the best way to address rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. “We need to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding.” He added: “I am particularly concerned by the possibility that efforts to offset the destabilizing activities of the [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] could also result in increased arms competition and tensions, further impeding the ability of the international community to maintain unity and achieve a peaceful solution.”
Pyongyang’s continuing pursuit of nuclear-weapon and ballistic missile programmes clearly threatened regional and international security, and seriously undermined international disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, he said. “We need to act now to prevent conflict and achieve sustainable peace.”
Condemning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s repeated violations of the relevant Security Council resolutions in the strongest terms, he emphasized: “The onus is on the [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] to comply with its international obligations.”
Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State of the United States, emphasized that all options, including military action, must remain on the table. He urged the Security Council to “act before the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does”, warning that it was only a matter of time before Pyongyang could develop the capability to strike the United States mainland. “The United States cannot stand by idly,” he said, stressing that failing to act on the world’s most pressing security issue could bring catastrophic consequences. A “new pressure campaign” must be implemented swiftly, he said, stressing that it must be painful to Pyongyang’s interests.
On the other hand, Gennady Gatilov, the Russian Federation’s Deputy Foreign Minister, warned that one ill-thought-out move or misinterpretation could result in the most frightening and lamentable situation, noting that, due to “high muscle flexing”, the whole world was wondering whether war was imminent. Although it was clear that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was conducting itself in an inappropriate manner, the option of force was completely unacceptable, he emphasized. Pyongyang would probably not give up on nuclear weapons as long as it felt that its security was threatened, which was exactly how it was likely to view the large-scale manoeuvres and exercises by its neighbours and the United States, he said.
Wang Yi, China’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, emphasized that his country should not be the focal point for the problem on the Korean Peninsula, adding that responsibility for resolving the crisis did not reside in the hands of the Chinese. Highlighting the indispensable need for a political settlement based on dialogue and negotiation, he said the international community must remain committed to dialogue, warning that the use of force would not create solutions, but could instead lead to bigger problems. Dialogue was the sensible choice for all parties, he reiterated.
Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs said the threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ballistic missiles had reached a new level and was “not just hypothetical”. Three such missiles had landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone on 6 March, he recalled. “In order to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table, the international community must send a strong message that provocation comes at a high price, and that no bright future awaits North Korea without its denuclearization.”
Yun Byung-se, the Republic of Korea’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, warned that a nuclear-armed Pyongyang could disrupt the region’s security landscape significantly. It could deal a fatal blow to the global non-proliferation regime and increase the risk of nuclear material or related technology falling into the hands of terrorists. “In order to avoid this nightmarish scenario, we must act now,” he emphasized, adding: “We are racing against time.” He added: “Our goal is not to bring North Korea to its knees, but to bring it back to the negotiation table for genuine denuclearization.” However, “dialogue for the sake of dialogue” could not be an option, he said, stressing that the international community must break the vicious cycle of provocations, negotiations and rewards for Pyongyang’s bad behaviour.
Also speaking today included foreign ministers and other representatives of Senegal, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine, Uruguay, France, Bolivia and Egypt.
The meeting began at 10 a.m. and ended at 12:10 p.m.
