Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calls for a united front on North Korea at summit in Vancouver
The Foreign Secretary urged the international community to maintain pressure on the North Korean regime through strict UN sanctions.
The Foreign Secretary has welcomed the resumption of talks between North and South Korea, but urged the international community to maintain its pressure on the North Korean regime through the implementation of strict UN sanctions.
Mr Johnson was speaking at a 2-day gathering in Vancouver jointly hosted by the US and Canada, focusing on security and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The Foreign Secretary said:
There can be no doubt that the crisis is intensifying, we had 20 tests within the last year, 20 missiles, 2 of which flew over Japan, and 1 testing of a nuclear device.
It’s very important and encouraging that the world is not being intimidated or divided by the threat from North Korea and actually we have come together and in Resolution 2397 there was an unprecedented measure of global consensus about what to do and to intensify the political and economic pressure on the regime.
It’s great that conversations are taking place between North Korea and South Korea and great there is an Olympic truce, but I hope people will recognise that the program is continuing in North Korea and that Kim Jong-un continues with his illegal program.
He can continue on the path of provocation and equipping his country with nuclear weapons that will lead to further escalation, further economic pain and hardship of his people or else he has an opportunity to go down a path that will lead to greater wellbeing for his people and a chance to emulate the astonishing achievements of the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
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