UN Divided Over North Korea Spy Satellite (Japan)
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The Security Council at the United Nations remains split over the recent launch of a spy satellite by North Korea. Accordingly, China and the Russian Federation are taking a more understanding approach to North Korea – with the bloc led by America taking the opposite stance.
The Korean Peninsula continues to be divided related to the legacy of Japanese Imperialism and the Cold War period of history. More worryingly, the nations of America, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and the Russian Federation – all belonging to Northeast Asia apart from America geographically – have increased their military capabilities to a level unmatched in recent decades.
Kim Song (ambassador of North Korea to the UN) decried the double standards of Western powers and the opinions of Japan and South Korea.
Kim said no other international nation faced restrictions on launching satellites. Hence, with the security environment of Northeast Asia being highly militarized, North Korea is compelled to defend its position.
Kim pointedly said, “One belligerent party, the United States, is threatening us with a nuclear weapon.”
AFP reports, “South Korea’s spy agency said that Russia, eager for assistance in Ukraine, helped North Korea on the satellite following a summit between Kim and President Vladimir Putin.”
Geng Shuang (envoy of China) blamed America for “further aggravating tension and confrontation” by its military alliance with South Korea.
The envoy of China said, “If the DPRK (North Korea) constantly feels threatened, and its legitimate security concerns remain unresolved, the peninsula will not be able to get out of the security dilemma and only be caught in a vicious cycle of tit-for-tat aggressive moves.”
Reuters reports, “For the past several years the U.N. Security Council has been divided over how to deal with Pyongyang. Russia and China, veto powers along with the U.S., Britain and France, have said more sanctions will not help and want such measures to be eased.”
The top envoy of Japan (Kimihiro Ishikane) at the UN said: “We should not be deceived by any attempt to justify North Korea’s ambition to pursue unlawful (weapons of mass destruction) programs.”
America (nuclear umbrella covers Japan and South Korea), China, the Russian Federation, and North Korea all have nuclear weapons – and other potent military capabilities of mass destruction.
All sides need to make sincere compromises. If not, the endless militarization of all parties will continue to spiral. This isn’t in the interest of Northeast Asia – irrespective of any belligerent or equal belligerents.
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