Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUnifeed
UN / DPRK
STORY: UN / DPRK
TRT: 04:04
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: CHINESE / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 15 DECEMBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
15 DECEMBER 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The situation on the Korean Peninsula is the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today. I am deeply concerned by the risk of military confrontation, including as a result of unintended escalation or miscalculation.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, United States:
“Continuing to allow North Korean labourers to toil in slave-like conditions inside Russia in exchange for wages used to fund nuclear weapons programmes calls into question Russia’s dedication as a partner for peace. Similarly, as Chinese crude oil flows to North Korean refineries, the United States questions China’s commitment to solving the issue that has serious implications for the security of its own citizens.”
6. Med shot, DPRK ambassador
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, United States:
“The United States will use all necessary measures to defend itself against North Korean aggression, but our hope remains that diplomacy will produce a resolution. As I said earlier this week, a sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behaviour must occur before talks can begin. North Korea must earn its way back to the table. The pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearization is achieved. We will in the meantime keep our channels of communication open.”
8. Wide shot, Tillerson addressing Council
9. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan:
“A prerequisite for a meaningful dialogue is North Korea's commitment and concrete action toward denuclearization. What is important today is that the international community becomes more united and cooperates closely on maximizing pressure on North Korea by all means available. Only by doing so, we can make North Korea change its policy.”
10. Wide shot, Guterres addressing Council
11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Haitao, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations:
“The current situation on the Peninsula is not caused by one party alone, and it is not helpful to impose on any one party the responsibility of resolving the problem. The parties concerned should move towards each other instead of engaging in mutual blaming.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Haitao, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations:
“China has always supported and implemented comprehensively and strictly the Security Council resolutions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In so doing, China has made greater efforts and paid a higher price than anyone else. It is irresponsible to doubt or challenge what China has done.”
14. Med shot, DPRK ambassador
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Cho Hyun, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea:
“North Korea is fiercely waging a battle of wills against the international community. It wants to be recognized as a nuclear-weapons state on its own terms and conditions. Our answer should be absolutely no. We should not be coerced by North Korea's continuing provocations, but rather uphold our principles while firmly responding to its reckless behaviours.”
16. Med shot, Tillerson listening to DPRK ambassador
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Ja Song Nam, Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the United Nations (DPRK):
“The meeting today is none other than a desperate measure plotted by the US being terrified by the incredible might of our Republic that has successfully achieved the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, cause of building a rocket power through the great November event.”
18. Zoom out, Security Council
UN chief António Guterres expressed his deep concern over the risk of a military conflict on the Korean Peninsula which he described as “the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today.”
Speaking today (15 Dec) at a ministerial meeting of the Security Council on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Guterres said the country remains the only in the world to continue nuclear testing in a blatant disregard to Council resolutions. He called on the DPRK leadership to allow space for the resumption of dialogue on the denuclearization of the Peninsula while calling on all those concerned to avoid an accidental escalation into conflict. He stressed the need to re-establish communication channels, including inter-Korean and military to military channels, to lower the risks of miscalculations or misunderstandings.
United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the DPRK represents a direct threat to his country and the world. He stressed that in the face of this threat, inaction is unacceptable. Tillerson noted that the international community has been firm in its stance that it will not accept a nuclear North Korea and called on continues to fully implement Security Council resolutions. He added that countries’ hesitation to implement these resolutions calls into question whether their votes in the Council are a commitment to words only and not action.
SOUNDBITE (English) Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, United States:
“Continuing to allow North Korean labourers to toil in slave-like conditions inside Russia in exchange for wages used to fund nuclear weapons programmes calls into question Russia’s dedication as a partner for peace. Similarly, as Chinese crude oil flows to North Korean refineries, the United States questions China’s commitment to solving the issue that has serious implications for the security of its own citizens.”
Tillerson noted recent efforts by the DPRK to portray Council resolutions as harmful to women and children. He stressed that the country could feed its people if it chose to do so over its nuclear weapons programme. He said the DPRK has the choice to give up its nuclear weapons programme or condemn its people to poverty and isolation.
Tillerson reiterated his country’s stance that all options remain on the table, while stressing that the US was not seeking a war with the DPRK.
SOUNDBITE (English) Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, United States:
“The United States will use all necessary measures to defend itself against North Korean aggression, but our hope remains that diplomacy will produce a resolution. As I said earlier this week, a sustained cessation of North Korea’s threatening behaviour must occur before talks can begin. North Korea must earn its way back to the table. The pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearization is achieved. We will in the meantime keep our channels of communication open.”
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the DPRK’s definance of the Security Council’s authority is unacceptable. He said the country’s missile launch late November made it clear that the DPRK would continue relentlessly to develop its nuclear and missile programmes adding that dialogue for the sake of dialogue would not yield results.
SOUNDBITE (English) Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan:
“A prerequisite for a meaningful dialogue is North Korea's commitment and concrete action toward denuclearization. What is important today is that the international community becomes more united and cooperates closely on maximizing pressure on North Korea by all means available. Only by doing so, we can make North Korea change its policy.”
Chinese deputy ambassador Wu Haitao said his country opposes the development of nuclear weapons by the DPRK. He said while the DPRK continued nuclear tests and missile launches, military exercises on the Korean Peninsula were expanded. Wu stressed that tension were not in anyone’s interest.
SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Haitao, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations:
“The current situation on the Peninsula is not caused by one party alone, and it is not helpful to impose on any one party the responsibility of resolving the problem. The parties concerned should move towards each other instead of engaging in mutual blaming.”
Wu said the option of using force is unacceptable, adding that sanctions being imposed on the DRPK should avoid impacting the people. He called on the US to translate its commitments into actions, adding that China “has made greater efforts and paid a higher price than anyone else” to implement Council resolutions. Wu stressed, “It is irresponsible to doubt or challenge what China has done.”
South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said the international community’s efforts have not been enough to bring the DPRK back to the negotiations table. He called on the international community must grasp the gravity of the North Korean threat and find ways to halt its nuclear programme.
SOUNDBITE (English) Cho Hyun, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea:
“North Korea is fiercely waging a battle of wills against the international community. It wants to be recognized as a nuclear-weapons state on its own terms and conditions. Our answer should be absolutely no. We should not be coerced by North Korea's continuing provocations, but rather uphold our principles while firmly responding to its reckless behaviours.”
Cho stressed however that the region should not be provoked into conflict nor should the opens to dialogue and peace be shut.
DPRK ambassador Ja Song Nam said the ministerial meeting “is none other than a desperate measure plotted by the US being terrified by the incredible might of our Republic that has successfully achieved the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, cause of building a rocket power through the great November event.”
Ja said the DPRK’s possession of nuclear weapons was an inevitable self-defensive measure to defend its sovereignty from US nuclear threats and blackmail. He stressed that the Council is acting as a tool of the US instead of keeping impartiality as the lifeline in its activities.
The DPRK ambassador said his could would fulfil its international non-proliferation obligation and put in every effort to achieve global peace and security as a responsible nuclear power and a peace-loving nation.
Download
There is no media available to download.
