North Korea Launches 7th Missile of the New Year
Canada Urges International Community to Condemn in Statement
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] As North Korea launched its seventh missile this year, the international community has called for strengthening sanctions against the North.
The confrontation between North Korea, China, and Russia on one side and South Korea, the United States, and Japan on the other has become entrenched over North Korea's military provocations, further intensifying tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
According to diplomatic circles on the 31st, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 28th (local time) condemning North Korea's ballistic missile launch on January 27, stating that it poses a direct threat to international and regional peace and security.
The statement pointed out, "North Korea has tested 10 missiles so far this year, most of which violate United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions (sanctions against North Korea)," calling it "a blatant disregard for international obligations by North Korea."
It added, "We urge North Korea to respond to repeated calls to return to negotiations," emphasizing that "dialogue and diplomacy are the only paths to security, stability, and prosperity for all in the region."
The statement further urged North Korea to take concrete steps toward the "Complete, Verifiable, and Irreversible Dismantlement" (CVID) of its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, and stated, "Canada supports international efforts to deter North Korea's provocative actions and strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific region."
Earlier, the European Union (EU), Germany, Sweden, and others also issued statements condemning North Korea's ballistic missile launches and calling for a return to dialogue.
The EU's statement included the phrase "committed to the goal of North Korea dismantling its WMD, ballistic missile, and nuclear programs in a comprehensive, verifiable, and irreversible manner," while Germany and Sweden used wording equivalent to CVID.
CVID is a term that North Korea rejects. The Biden administration in the U.S. has mainly used the term "complete denuclearization," but in a joint statement issued with Japan on the 20th, it included the phrase "strongly committed to the CVID of North Korea's nuclear weapons and other WMD, ballistic missiles of all ranges, and related programs and facilities."
Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced via a text message sent to the press corps at 7:57 a.m. on the 31st that North Korea had launched an unidentified projectile into the East Sea. The military authorities are currently analyzing the projectile's specifications, including its range, altitude, and speed.
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