UNITED NATIONS, New York – Hwang Joon-kook, Seoul’s ambassador to the U.N., raised concerns about North Korea’s ballistic missile program at a recent U.N. Security Council session. He warned that Russia’s deployment of North Korean missiles in Ukraine could incentivize Pyongyang to escalate its arms exports.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the missile launches provide North Korea with valuable military insights and may spur the country to seek new revenue streams by selling ballistic missiles. He accused North Korea of treating Ukraine as a testing ground for its nuclear-capable missiles, posing a direct threat to the Republic of Korea. Hwang emphasized the importance of concerted efforts by the Security Council to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and provocations.
During the session, other delegates, including the U.S., condemned the arms transfers between North Korea and Russia, viewing them as violations of UNSC resolutions. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya disputed the allegations of using North Korean missiles in Ukraine, while China’s deputy representative, Geng Shuang, called for restraint and a political resolution to the conflict.