The United States, South Korea, and Japan strongly criticized Russia’s use of missiles acquired from North Korea to attack Ukraine in the United Nations Security Council. Russia claimed that the US was spreading disinformation. Reporter Cho Eun-jeong reports.
Robert Wood, Deputy Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, spoke at the Security Council meeting held on the 10th at the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the theme ‘Maintaining Peace and Security in Ukraine’.
He criticized, “The Russian military has used North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine on several occasions.”
“We expect Russia to launch additional missiles to destroy Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill its citizens,” he said.
[녹취: 우드 차석대사] “Russian forces have now used DPRK ballistic missiles in Ukraine several times. We expect that Russia will use additional missiles to destroy more of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill Ukrainian civilians.”
Deputy Ambassador Wood pointed to the fact that the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council prohibit the acquisition and export of weapons from North Korea and emphasized, “To resolve the terrible situation that has continued in Ukraine for two years, we must address Russia’s violation of Security Council resolutions.”
The UN Ambassador in South Korea, Hwang Jun-guk, said that the use of North Korean missiles in Ukraine is a serious threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea uses Ukraine as a test site for missiles that carry nuclear weapons.
[녹취: 황 대사] “Some experts assess that KN-23 are missiles fired into Ukraine, which the DPRK claims you can provide with nuclear warheads. For the ROK, this comes as a clear and present demonstration of the existential threat. One of the missiles flew 460 kilometers, exactly the same distance between Wonsan, the DPRK’s typical launch pad, and Pusan, the ROK’s largest port city. From ROK’s point of view, it amounts to a simulated attack. “
Ambassador Hwang said, “Some experts assess that the missile launched against Ukraine was the KN-23, which North Korea claims is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. This is a clear existential threat to South Korea.”
He then noted, “One of the missiles (in Ukraine) flew 460km, which is exactly the same distance as Wonsan in North Korea and Busan in South Korea, so from South Korea’s point of view, it amounts to a ‘fake attack.’ ”
He also warned that the actual use of ballistic missiles from North Korea could lead to the expansion of North Korean arms exports.
Ambassador Hwang said, “This launch will give North Korea important technological and military insight,” adding, “North Korea may become more emboldened and export missiles to other countries to raise funds for missile development illegal nuclear and ballistic.”
Ambassador Hwang said that the use of missiles from North Korea in Ukraine is a new challenge and called for a joint response at the level of the Security Council.
Japan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Kazuyuki Yamazaki said, “We condemn in the strongest terms North Korea’s export of ballistic missiles, Russia’s acquisition of North Korea’s ballistic missiles, and Russia’s use of North Korea’s ballistic missiles against Ukraine.”
[녹취: 야마자키 대사] “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, North Korea’s export and Russia’s acquisition of ballistic missiles from North Korea, as well as Russia’s use of North Korea’s ballistic missiles against Ukraine. In addition, we are very concerned about the potential for any proliferation of nuclear or ballistic missile-related technology to North Korea. Any arms transfer including conventional weapons and related material and technology between North Korea and Russia is clearly in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions that Russia itself supported, and could actually destabilize the region.
“We are also very concerned about the possibility of nuclear or ballistic missile technology spreading to North Korea,” he said.
“Any arms transfer, including conventional weapons and related materials and technology, between North Korea and Russia is in clear violation of several Russian-backed Security Council resolutions and could actually destabilize the region,” he said.
Specifically, with regard to Russia, he noted, “It is an extremely absurd situation for the international community to demand that permanent members of the Security Council comply with the decisions of the Security Council.”
On this day, other permanent members of the Security Council, including the UK and France, also condemned the North Korean-Russian arms trade and repeatedly stressed the need for a united response at the level of the Security Council.
“Russia’s use of North Korean ballistic missiles is a sign of recklessness and desperation,” said British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward. “It breaks multiple resolutions.”
[녹취: 우드워드 대사] “Additionally, Russia’s use of ballistic missiles from the DPRK is a sign of recklessness and desperation. It breaks multiple resolutions. All Members of the United Nations have an obligation to implement the decisions of the United Nations. I therefore call on Russia, a P5 country, to stop its arms trade with the DPRK, and to fully implement all UNSC resolutions, and to reaffirm its commitment to the global non-proliferation regime.”
Ambassador Woodward said, “All UN member states have an obligation to implement UN resolutions,” and added, “Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will stop arms trade with North Korea, fully implements all UN Security Council resolutions, and renews its commitment to the global non-proliferation regime.” “I encourage you to do that,” he said.
Russia, which attended the Security Council meeting that day, claimed there was no evidence of North Korean missile use.
“Today, Western members of the Security Council reiterated that the Russian military is using North Korean missiles in special military operations in Ukraine,” said Vasily Nebenza, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations.
[녹취: 네벤자 대사] “Today, the Western members of the Security Council reiterated the fact that the Russian military is using missiles from the DPRK in their special military operation in Ukraine. This information came from the United States, John Kirby, the official representative of the White House, said this a few days ago, and in fact, a representative of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Air Force specifically said that Kyiv had no evidence from this fact. So it appears that the United States is spreading information that is wrong without going through the trouble of checking this beforehand.”
Ambassador Nebenja claimed, “This information was mentioned by John Kirby, the White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator a few days ago, but the Ukrainian Air Force said there was no evidence for it.”
He continued, “So, it appears that the United States is spreading misinformation without going through the trouble of checking it beforehand.”
However, the UN Ambassador in Ukraine, Sergey Kislytyan, who attended the meeting that day, said, “According to the report of the Kharkiv Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine released on January 6, one of the ballistic missiles that attacked the city had Kharkiv on January 2, visual. and technical flaws “It’s different from Russian missiles.”
[녹취: 끼슬리쨔 대사] “According to the Kharkiv Prosecutor’s Office reports released on 6 January, one ballistic missile from the barrage that hit the city of Kharkiv on 2 January was visually and technically different from Russian models. Presenting the remains to the media, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office noted deviations from standard Iskander missiles. In particular, the missile had a slightly larger diameter than the Russian Iskander missile, and its nozzle, internal electrical windings, and rear parts were also different. As the spokesman said, “this missile is similar to one of North Korea’s missiles”. The work of examining the remains with the aim of establishing and verifying the origin of the aforementioned missile is underway.”
Ambassador Kislytyan said, “The prosecutor’s spokesman revealed the wreckage to the media and pointed out that this missile is different from the Russian Iskander missile.”
It has a slightly larger diameter than a Russian Iskander missile, and its nozzle, internal electrical cables, and rear section are similar to a North Korean missile. He explained that tests are underway to confirm the source of this missile.
Ukraine previously revealed the wreckage on the 6th, saying it was evidence of a North Korean missile.
John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council (NSC), also said in a regular briefing on the 9th, “The Russian military fired a number of ballistic missiles from North Korea into Ukraine again on January 6.”
At the regular briefing on the 4th, Coordinator Kirby also revealed that Russia used North Korean missiles to attack Ukraine, along with photos showing the missiles, launchers, and missile landing sites.
This is Cho Eun-jeong from VOA News.
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