Foreign Secretary condemns North Korean nuclear test
The UK will begin urgent consultations with Security Council partners calling for a robust response to this latest development.
Following reports that North Korea has carried out a nuclear test, the Foreign Secretary William Hague gave a statement. He said:
It appears that North Korea carried out a nuclear test at 11.57KST today. I strongly condemn this development, which is a violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874 and 2087. North Korea’s development of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities poses a threat to international and regional security. Its repeated provocations only serve to increase regional tension, and hinder the prospects for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
UN Security Council Resolution 2087 committed the Security Council to take significant action in the event of a further launch or nuclear test by North Korea. The UK will begin urgent consultations with Security Council partners calling for a robust response to this latest development. North Korea has a choice to make: it can either engage constructively with the international community, cease developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and return to negotiations, or face increasing isolation and further action by the Security Council and the international community.
Further Information
The UK previously welcomed the UN Security Council resolution on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea