Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo's
Remakrs to the Security Council on
Non-proliferation/Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
New York, 18 December 2024
Madam President,
I have been asked to brief the Security Council today Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) adherence to the non-proliferation regime and on its military engagements.
The DPRK has been actively working towards acquiring new military capabilities in line with the five-year military development plan it unveiled in January 2021.
In 2024, the DPRK launched one intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), four intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBM), and multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM). It also attempted to launch a military reconnaissance satellite.
The IRBM launches were associated with the testing of what the DPRK notes to be “hypersonic maneuverable controlled warheads” and multiple warhead missiles.
Also, there are indications that the DPRK continues to actively pursue its nuclear programme.
In September, DPRK state media reported on an inspection of a “uranium enrichment base” by the DPRK leader. This appears to corroborate earlier reports about the existence of a second, yet-to-be-declared, uranium enrichment plant in Kangson, in addition to the uranium enrichment facility in Yongbyon.
Further, on 20 November, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the Agency observed that the 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon was not operating between mid-August and mid-October.
According to IAEA experts, that gap would have provided sufficient time to refuel the reactor and start its seventh operational cycle.
Also, in November this year, the DPRK openly displayed its weapon delivery systems during an exhibition in Pyongyang. The authorities showcased the latest solid-fuel “Hwasong-19” ICBM, which the DPRK launched for the first time on 31 October.
The missile set new records for the longest flight length and altitude reached by any DPRK ICBM launch.
The Hwasong-19 and other weapons systems in the exhibition are produced in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. Their open display demonstrates that the DPRK is far from slowing down its ballistic missile programme.
The DPRK’s pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes undermines the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.
As we approach 2025, the final year of the DPRK’s current five-year military plan, we reiterate our calls on the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations.
Madam President,
International attention has also recently focused on the reported increase in military cooperation between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.
According to media reports, since 2023, the DPRK has transferred to the Russian Federation more than 13,000 containers of ammunition, missiles and artillery.
The latter include 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket systems. Russian forces have also reportedly used SRBMs from the DPRK to strike Ukraine.
Further, and again based on media reports, more than 10,000 DPRK troops have been sent to the Russian Federation since October, where they have received training and equipment.
According to US and Ukrainian officials, they are now deployed in Russia’s Kursk region fighting alongside Russian forces.
While the United Nations is not in a position to verify these claims, they are a cause for concern, as noted by the the Secretary-General in a 3 November statement.
On 18 November, in remarks I delivered on his behalf in the Council, the Secretary-General stressed that the reported deployment of thousands of troops from the DPRK to the conflict zone and their involvement in the fighting adds fuel to the fire, further escalating and internationalizing this explosive conflict.
We reiterate our call on all relevant actors to refrain from any steps that may lead to spillover and intensification of the war in Ukraine.
Madam President,
While the Security Council did not renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts that supported the Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1718 (2006), the DPRK sanctions regime and the Committee remain in place.
I would like to reiterate that international engagement with the DPRK is guided by Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), 2321 (2016), as well as resolutions 2356 (2017), 2371 (2017), 2375 (2017) and 2397 (2017).
In line with these resolutions, the DPRK shall cease the export of all arms and related materiel, and all Member States shall prohibit the procurement of such arms and related materiel from the DPRK by their nationals.
I recall that the relevant Security Council resolutions are legally binding for all UN Member States. As the Secretary-General has stated, any relationship that a country has with the DPRK must entirely abide by the relevant Security Council sanctions.
We remain deeply concerned about growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which have increasing global ramifications. It is imperative that this Council act decisively to uphold the non-proliferation regime and international norms.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula, a key peace and security issue, must be an area for cooperation. The Secretary-General has consistently called for de-escalation and the urgent resumption of talks.
Diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
In this respect, we welcome the willingness and offers to engage in dialogue with the DPRK without preconditions.
We also recall the Security Council’s commitment expressed in resolution 2397 (2017), to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The Council must also remain attentive to the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. We reiterate the call on the DPRK to expedite the return of the UN Country Team and the international community to strengthen support for its people and advance the 2030 Agenda.
Thank you, Madam President.