North Korea Defies International Pressure with Ballistic Missile Tests in the Sea of Japan
By firing several ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, North Korea has once more defied international pressure. On February 21, 2023, North Korea's east coast was used to launch the missiles, which travelled for several hundred kilometres before splashing down in the water.
The most recent missile launches by North Korea are yet another show of defiance against the country, which has been subject to many rounds of international sanctions meant to rein in its nuclear and missile programmes. The launches coincide with South Korea's and the United States' redoubled efforts to talk to North Korea.
The missile tests were denounced by the UN Security Council as a "clear breach" of the organization's existing resolutions. The council encouraged North Korea to abide by its international commitments in a statement, calling the launches "a danger to regional and world peace and security."
The missile tests have also drawn harsh criticism from South Korea and Japan. South Korea's foreign ministry described the tests as "provocative acts" that undermined efforts to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation.
A State Department official said that the launches "only serve to heighten tensions in the region and are not helpful to the pursuit of peace and stability" in response to the missile testing. The spokesperson further stated that the US remains dedicated to cooperating with partners to find a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear problem.
The latest in a string of provocative acts by North Korea, which has developed its nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of international sanctions, were the missile launches. The launches are probably going to worsen already strained relations between North Korea and the rest of the world and raise tensions in the area.
