E3 statement on North Korea: 2 February 2022

Germany, the United Kingdom and France express their deep concern over the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the recent intermediate-range ballistic missile launch of 29 January.

Since the beginning of 2022, the DPRK has conducted a series of six ballistic missile tests. We note with deep concern the DPRK’s stated willingness to continue, and potentially escalate, testing including the resumption of “actions which had been temporarily suspended”. Such activity is a matter of grave concern and will receive a united response.

The multiple ballistic missiles tests by the DPRK over the last twelve months, which have included new so-called hypersonic missiles and a submarine-launched ballistic missile, illustrate its continued efforts to expand and improve its ballistic missile capabilities. We strongly condemn these provocative actions, which undermine regional as well as international peace and security and are in clear violation of multiple unanimously adopted UN Security Council resolutions.

We call on the DPRK to implement the decisions of the Security Council in full, to accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by the United States and to take concrete actions towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles programmes.

We call on all States to fully and effectively implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, which are crucial to bring the DPRK back to the negotiating table. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we commend the work of the 1718 Committee, which has swiftly approved all sanctions exemption requests for humanitarian assistance for the DPRK.

Germany, the United Kingdom and France are committed to working with all relevant partners towards the goal of peace on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order.