MOSCOW: A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom has called the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea a breach of several United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and said it destabilises the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, reported Sputnik.
“North Korea’s ballistic missile launch on April 2 is a breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. The UK strongly urges North Korea to refrain from further provocations, return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation,“ the spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
North Korean state-run news agency KCNA reported earlier that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the first test launch of Pyongyang’s Hwasong-16B, a new-type intermediate-range solid-fuelled ballistic missile loaded with a newly-developed hypersonic gliding warhead, on Tuesday. The missile flew 1,000 km, the report said.
The launch of the missile was aimed at confirming the designed technical specifications and verifying the reliability of the weapon system, the report said, adding that characteristics of the missile and its manoeuvrability were proven through the launch.
The KCNA also cited the North Korean leader as saying that all tactical, operational and strategic missiles of Pyongyang are now solid-fuel and nuclear-capable, and are equipped with manoeuverable warheads. –Bernama
