The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an official meeting on the 27th (local time) regarding North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launch, but failed to produce any outcomes such as a Security Council-level statement condemning North Korea or the adoption of a resolution. North Korea strongly opposed the move, claiming it was a legitimate exercise of sovereignty, while permanent Security Council members China and Russia sided with North Korea.
Khaled Khiari, Deputy Director of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, stated at the Security Council meeting held at the UN Headquarters in New York that "Security Council resolutions prohibit any launch activities by North Korea using ballistic missile technology," and declared that North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launch on the 21st violated Security Council resolutions.
Deputy Director Khiari emphasized, "North Korea is implementing its five-year weapons development plan announced in 2021," and added, "It should be noted that the development of military reconnaissance satellites is part of this plan, which includes the so-called development of tactical nuclear weapons." He also pointed out that "North Korea notified the Japan Coast Guard in advance of the launch, but did not notify the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), or the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)," criticizing North Korea for carrying out a launch that could pose serious risks to international civil aviation and maritime traffic. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres also strongly condemned North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launch on the 21st as a violation of Security Council resolutions.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, also stated during the meeting, "The Security Council is entrusted with the mission to maintain international peace and security," and criticized, "North Korea is undermining that authority." Hwang Joon-guk, South Korea's Ambassador to the UN attending the meeting as a concerned party, pointed out, "Security Council resolutions prohibit any launches that contribute to the development of ballistic missile technology, regardless of success," and added, "North Korea has gone beyond violating Security Council resolutions to almost mocking them." Ambassador Hwang appealed, "North Korea's provocative actions are not just a regional issue but a global problem," urging condemnation of North Korea and unity within the Security Council.
On the other hand, North Korea maintains that the launch is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty. It claims that if there had been no threat from the US, it would have launched civilian satellites such as communication satellites rather than reconnaissance satellites. China and Russia, both permanent members of the Security Council, justified North Korea's reconnaissance satellite launch and sided with North Korea. As a result, the Security Council failed to produce any tangible outcomes such as a statement condemning North Korea or a resolution. Since 2018, the Security Council has not taken concrete actions such as sanction resolutions or statements in response to North Korea's ballistic missile and satellite launches.
Kim Song, North Korea's Ambassador to the UN, stated on the day, "There are currently more than 5,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, so why is only North Korea's artificial satellite being singled out?" He completely rejected and refused to accept the claim that the satellite launch violated Security Council resolutions. Regarding the Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology itself, he remarked, "Then does the US launch satellites using a slingshot instead of ballistic missile technology?"
Geng Shuang, China's Deputy Ambassador to the UN, said, "No country can sacrifice another country's right to self-defense for its own security." He invoked "North Korea's right to self-defense" in response to international concerns that North Korea's development of ballistic missile technology, nuclear weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction threatens security in Northeast Asia. Anna Evstigneva, Russia's Deputy Ambassador, also reiterated North Korea's position that the satellite launch was a response to US threats. She referred to media reports that South Korea plans to launch its first reconnaissance satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at the end of this month, arguing that "the West is overreacting to North Korea's reconnaissance satellite launch."
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