OPINION:
North Korea has announced an imminent satellite launch which is a major violation of United Nations sanctions. This launch comes on the heels of North Korea’s recent fourth nuclear test which was also a major violation of the U.N. directive. The world body forbode North Korea from testing ballistic missile technology following its 2012 rocket launch.
The International Maritime Organization said it had received a shipping warning from North Korea of its intention to launch an earth observation satellite between 8 and 25 February, reports, the Guardian.
“I feel confident in telling you that the international community would regard a step like that by the North Koreans as just another irresponsible provocation and a clear violation of their international obligations,” said the White House.
Daniel Russel, the assistant US secretary of state for Asia-Pacific affairs, said “the North is threatening to move in the wrong direction. It’s the wrong direction from the point of view of the international community. North Korea is defying the UN security council, it’s defying its … neighbour China, it’s defying the international community to the detriment of regional peace and security, and to the detriment of North Korean people itself. This argues even more strongly for action by the UN security council and the international community to impose real consequences for the destabilising action that the DPRK has taken, is taking, and to raise the cost to the leaders through the imposition of tough additional sanctions.”
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