The United Nations Security Council has once again failed to adopt a statement condemning North Korea for its latest missile launch, because China wanted the statement to reflect its opposition to South Korea’s plan to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to the Korean peninsula.
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According to Reuters, China told the council: “We believe that the response of the council is based on violation of Security Council resolutions, not the place where the missile impacted”.
China argued that the move would only exacerbate the growing sense of desperation by the faltering regime of Kim Jong-un in North Korea, while South Korea expressed concern that recent ballistic missile tests by the increasingly unhinged leader in Pyongyang pose an imminent threat to Seoul’s safety.
Japan and the United States said they could not accept the proposed changes to the draft by China and on Tuesday dropped the bid for a Security Council statement.
Power had said that the USA agreement with South Korea to deploy the THAAD missile defense system was “purely defensive” and in response to North Korea’s drive to refine its capabilities.
Adoption of a UNSC statement requires a consensus among all 15 member countries, including the five permanent members that include the US and China.
The ongoing row is threatening to undo the substantial effort President Park has put into strengthening ties with China, which is not only South Korea’s largest trade partner but also the key player in curbing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. But China vehemently rejects the allies’ arguments, claiming that the deployment of the missile shield impairs its strategic interest in the region.
The 15-member council held a closed-door meeting on the same day, but has been unable to agree on a USA -drafted statement to condemn the launch, which was nearly identical to two previous statements issued by the council on North Korea (DPRK).
In the absence of joint action, United Nations envoys of South Korea, the USA and Japan held an ad hoc press conference to voice their joint criticism of North Korea’s latest missile launches. The launch left Japan infuriated as the missile landed in or near its territorial waters for the first time.
In previous months, North Korea has launched a series of missiles, with the last reported missile launch on Wednesday, August 3, 2016.
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South Korea’s foreign ministry said it is “very sorry” for the UNSC’s botched statement adoption attempt. In principle, condemnation statements require the unanimous approval of Security Council members.
