North Korea condemns US, China calls for restraint
The U.S. has reportedly asked the Security Council to meet publicly on North Korea, but Russia and China opposed the move, arguing that a response should help cool tensions.
Meanwhile, on the morning of Oct. 6, South Korean and Japanese media reported that North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the Eastern Sea, one of which was described as having an unusual trajectory.
This is North Korea’s 6th missile test in the past 12 days, coming just two days after it launched a long-range ballistic missile over Japanese territory.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry today (6/10) issued a press statement condemning the US, while China urged the parties to exercise restraint to avoid escalating tensions.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry today (6/10) issued a statement condemning the US for bringing its “retaliatory actions” to the UN Security Council, while China said north Korea’s missile launch was not isolated, but related to the drills and called for restraint.
China Central Television (CCTV) quoted a source from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying that north Korea’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the U.S. and some U.S. followers for bringing “countermeasures by the North Korean military” to discussions at the U.N. Security Council.
The statement also said North Korea is closely monitoring U.S. actions to send aircraft carrier strike groups to Korean Peninsula waters, posing a serious threat to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the return of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to waters off the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean media quoted sources from the Korean Central News Agency as saying that the North Korean Foreign Ministry considers the U.S. reassignment of the airfield battle group to the waters of the Peninsula poses a threat to the stability of the peninsula and surrounding areas.
North Korea is closely monitoring the situation.
North Korea insists it has taken reasonable measures in response to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.
North Korea’s launch of medium- and long-range ballistic missiles on Oct. 4 was a response to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises in international waters east of South Korea in late September.
The Reagan Airfield Strike Group participated in joint U.S.-South Korean exercises in South Korea’s Eastern Seas and left later, however, the group has returned to South Korea and is scheduled to participate today (Oct. 6) in response to North Korea’s launch of medium- and long-range missiles.
Earlier, speaking at the Security Council meeting on the Korean Peninsula situation on October 5, Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, called on relevant parties to focus on the greater peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, calm restraint, caution in words and actions, avoid any actions that may aggravate stress, lead to miscalculations, prevent the situation from further escalation.
He also asked the parties to consider the draft resolution on North Korea proposed by China and Russia at the Security Council in order to calm the humanitarian situation and livelihoods of the North Korean people, create an atmosphere of enhanced trust and resume dialogue. as well as creating incentives for the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue between the parties.
