US, EU ambassadors call for UN sanctions on North Korea over submarine missile launch

The US and three members of the European Union on Wednesday, 20 October, condemned North Korea’s recent missile test and called for UN sanctions on Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs and its economic activities. North Korea successfully tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SBLM) on Tuesday. According to KCNA, the missile had “advanced control guidance technologies” which could make it challenging to track. 

Following the missile test, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Wednesday urged North Korea to stop its “reckless provocations” that violate UNSC sanctions resolutions. According to AP, Linda said that Pyongyang should start talks with the Biden administration without preconditions toward the goal of complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. 

While speaking to reporters before an emergency closed meeting of the council on North Korea’s latest missile test, Linda went on to urge all countries to fully implement UN sanctions “so that we can prevent the DPRK from accessing the funds, the technology, the know-how it needs to further develop unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs”. 

Linda also made it clear that the United States has “no hostile intent toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)”. 

EU urges North Korea to end ‘destabilizing actions’

Separately, three members of the European Union - Ireland, France and Estonia - said that North Korea’s ballistic missile test “forms part of a pattern of provocations by the DPRK” in recent weeks. The three EU nations said that Pyonyang’s new submarine missile launch “underlines the continued enhancement of the nuclear and ballistic program of the DPRK, which stated the ambition to ultimately acquire sea-based nuclear capabilities”. 

They went on to urge North Korea to immediately end its “destabilizing actions and take concrete steps to abandon its ballistic missiles” and other weapons of mass destruction including its nuclear program “in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner”. Further, the EU council members also urged Pyongyang to respond positively to the repeated offers by the US and South Korea for dialogue. They said that there is “no other way” to achieve peace, security and stability on the Korean Peninsula. 

(With inputs from AP)