UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo on Wednesday expressed deep concerns about the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) is continuing to carry out a five-year military plan launched in January 2021 rather than complying with its international obligations.

DiCarlo noted that the constant nuclear program includes the 2024 launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) and short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs). Reports also showed the existence of two uranium enrichment plants, in Yongbyon and Kangson. She pointed out that the open display of weapon systems at an exhibition indicated that there is no sign of North Korean intent to slow down the program and abide by UN Security Council resolutions. Instead, she claimed the pursuit of its nuclear and missile program could undermine the global nuclear disarmament program.

In addition, DiCarlo stated that reports of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine, which the UN has not verified, demonstrated that North Korea’s involvement in the conflict zone will further internationalize the explosive fighting. This statement echoed the secretary-general’s concern that sending troops from North Korea to the conflict zone is “a very dangerous escalation of the war in Ukraine.”

In the end, DiCarlo recalled that in Resolution 2397, the UN Security Council expressed that the situation on the Korean Peninsula needed a peaceful and political solution. She urged the Security Council to act decisively to uphold the non-proliferation regime in international norms, stating: “Diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

In November 2024, South Korea and the EU issued a joint statement that condemned North Korea’s contribution of military arms and personnel to Russia as illegal under international law. The international engagement with North Korea was based on Security Council Resolutions 1718, 2087, 2094, 2270, 2321, 2356, 2371, 2375, and 2397. DiCarlo stressed that North Korea should stop exporting arms and related materials to keep in line with all these resolutions. Meanwhile, all UN member states should prevent their nationals from procuring relevant arms from North Korea since the resolutions are legally binding for all member states.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres deplored North Korea’s decision to conduct long-range ballistic missile testing in 2022. In December 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed that the further development of North Korea’s nuclear program violated the UN resolutions and was “deeply regrettable.” Last month, The G7 Foreign Ministers issued a statement condemning North Korea’s launch of ICBMs, which landed in the sea.