NATO chief calls on UN to uphold North Korea sanctions
November 1, 2017
Ahead of a visit to Seoul, Jens Stoltenberg has urged UN members to implement sanctions against North Korea. Meanwhile, China and South Korea are to work together to persuade the North to give up its nuclear program.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/D. Aydemir
Advertisement
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of Wednesday's visit to South Korea that North Korean missiles have the range to strike Europe, but that "NATO has the capabilities to respond to any threat."
The military alliance is not directly involved in attempts to resolve the North Korean crisis, but "fully supports its allies in the region," he added.
"We recognize that Europe has also entered the [North Korean] missile range and NATO member states are already in danger," Stoltenberg told the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
"NATO has protected its member countries from the threat of ballistic missiles through deterrence," but more diplomatic effort is needed to find a peaceful solution to the conflict," he added.
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
For years, the international community downplayed the threat of North Korea's military power. With the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it is clear that Pyongyang's military capabilities are growing.
Image: Gettty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/M. Brown
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/KCNA
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/MAXPPP
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
10 images1 | 10
What are the UN sanctions?
The UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution in September to impose new sanctions on North Korea, a week after Pyongyang carried out its sixth and largest nuclear test.
The resolution was aimed at:
- Capping North Korea's oil imports
- Banning textile exports
- Ending additional overseas laborer contracts
- Suppressing smuggling
- Stopping joint ventures with other nations
- Financially damaging North Korean government entities.
China – South Korea resume ties
China and South Korea issued a joint statement on Tuesday agreeing to reset relations. China said it would dismantle a year-old unofficial economic blockade against South Korean companies.
The break in ties came after Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy a missile defense system to counter North Korea's nuclear program.
South Korea said this week it will continue its plans to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) platform to counter the threat of North Korean nuclear missiles.
China and South Korea agreed to disagree on the issue.
"The two sides attached great importance to the Korea-China relationship and decided to push for the further development of the strategic co-operative partnership," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a joint press release.
An Asian diplomat told the Financial Times that a factor in China's decision was the conclusion of the 19th Communist party congress in October, which gave Beijing more room to manoeuver. A Chinese concession would not have been feasible ahead of the meeting, he said.
The US State Department reportedly welcomed the decision.
"We encourage North Korea and the US to carry out engagement and dialogue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, adding that she hoped talks could help return the issue to a diplomatic track for resolution.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on October 17 he would continue "diplomatic efforts ... until the first bomb drops."
Trump meanwhile will not go to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on the border of North Korea and South Korea during his Asia trip next week, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.
"There is not enough time in the schedule," the official told reporters. "It's becoming a little bit of a cliche, frankly." Instead, he will be the first American president to visit Camp Humphreys, a military installation south of Seoul.
