The UN Security Council chairperson’s statement against North Korea to condemn North Korea’s repeated armed provocations ultimately failed. It seems that this is due to the ‘opposition’ of China and Russia, permanent members of the Security Council and major allies of North Korea.
Accordingly, there is a prospect that North Korea will engage in various armed provocations, such as intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test-fires, under the “protection” of China and Russia this year, following last year.
According to the Voice of America (VOA) broadcast on the 14th (local time), the Security Council has been promoting the adoption of a presidential statement on North Korea led by the United States since North Korea’s successful test-launch of the “Hwasong-17” ICBM in November of last year, but “two member states” rejected it. was canceled, the US mission to the United Nations said.
Although the U.S. mission did not specifically name the “two member states” that refused to adopt the chairman’s statement to North Korea, it is interpreted as referring to both China and Russia.
Unlike resolutions, Security Council presidential statements are not legally binding. In addition, this chairman’s statement was also proposed by China earlier. For this reason, there was an observation that the chairman’s statement was ‘highly likely to be adopted’, but after about two months of discussion, it again became ‘nothing’.
When the Security Council voted on additional sanctions following the resumption of ICBM test launches by North Korea in May of last year, both China and Russia also exercised their veto power and nullified it. In order for a new resolution to be adopted by the Security Council, more than two-thirds of the 15 member states must vote in favor and at the same time, none of the five permanent members (US, UK, France, China, Russia) must veto it.
In the vote at the time, 13 member states, including the United States, expressed their intention to adopt additional sanctions resolutions, but both China and Russia put the brakes on related discussions, arguing that the US was responsible for North Korea’s provocations and that sanctions were useless.
North Korea fired at least 70 ballistic missiles over 30 times last year alone, including eight ICBMs. North Korea has also reconstructed its nuclear test site and is evaluated to be in a state where it can carry out a seventh nuclear test at any time.
In the midst of this, North Korea has announced that it will complete preparations for the launch of the reconnaissance satellite ‘No. 1’ by April this year. On the 8th of this month, at the North Korean military parade, an ICBM presumed weapon with a new solid fuel engine was also unveiled.
North Korea’s nuclear development, ballistic missile launches, and all aircraft launches using those technologies are violations of the Security Council resolutions.
In this regard, Hong Min, head of the North Korean Studies Office at the Institute for National Unification, said, “The cancellation of the adoption of the Security Council chairman’s statement is not something that could be a new turning point.” ”he said.
Observers and experts on North Korea believe that if North Korea resumes high-intensity armed provocations, such as launching ICBMs, it is highly likely that the timing will be around the time of the annual ROK-US joint military exercise “Freedom Shield” (FS · Freedom Shield) scheduled for March this year. This is because it is relatively easy for both China and Russia to cover North Korea if they launch a provocation at this time, as North Korea claims that the US-ROK training is a “practice for invasion”.
Ko Myung-hyeon, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said, “North Korea tested a solid fuel engine last year and unveiled a solid fuel ICBM at this parade, so the next step will be a test launch.” said.
Previously, when U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced at a joint conference after the ROK-US defense ministers meeting on the 31st of last month that he would increase the frequency and scale of the deployment of US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in order to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea, North Korea said in a statement on the 2nd of this month, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, We will respond with superpowers to any military attempt by the United States with nuclear weapons, head-to-head confrontation,” he warned.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.