In response to North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch on Monday, Pakistan expressed deep concern and called for diplomatic engagement and dialogue to address growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The missile was launched in conjunction with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul, where he met with South Korea’s interim president Choi Sang-mok.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, addressed the UN Security Council on Thursday, strongly supporting the resumption of talks between the parties concerned.
The missile fired by North Korea was described by Pyongyang as a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle. Akram condemned these developments, calling them detrimental to regional and international peace and security.
Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, calling for the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and global disarmament goals.
The country also expressed its opposition to further nuclear weapons tests and missile provocations, emphasizing the need to end coercive actions and threats in the region.
“Provocations such as missile tests and threats must stop,” Akram said. “Pakistan opposes any further testing of nuclear weapons in Korea or elsewhere.”
The South Korean military reported detecting a projectile, likely an intermediate-range ballistic missile, after the launch. U.N. officials have warned that North Korea’s missile program continues to undermine global nonproliferation efforts.
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, stressed that although the launch had no direct impact on the security of neighboring countries, North Korea did not issue the notifications security requirements for airspace and maritime borders.
North Korea’s U.N. ambassador, Song Kim, defended the missile test, describing it as a necessary step to strengthen the country’s national defense and strategic deterrence. He warned that any physical conflict on the peninsula would be the result of “reckless actions” by the United States and South Korea.
Kim urged the U.N. Security Council to refrain from criminalizing North Korea’s actions, citing double standards in enforcing international law.
