The United States Calls North Korea's Nuclear And Missile Program Not Loved By China

Ned Price. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - US officials assess North Korea's missile provocation and its ongoing nuclear development program have not helped any country, including China, two days after Beijing blocked US-led efforts to condemn Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile test.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated that all UN member states have an obligation to fully implement UN Security Council (DK PBB) resolutions on North Korea.

"The DPRK ballistic missile program, its nuclear program, is not only a threat to the United States and our people. This is not only a threat to our treaty allies, Japan and ROK in this regard, but also a threat to peace and security across the region," Price said at a daily press conference., reported the Korea Times February 23.

The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name, while ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

"And it's not something RRT likes. It's not something that the RRT should push on," he added, referring to China with its official name, the People's Republic of China.

Earlier, the US sought for a statement by the UN DK President to be issued at a Security Council meeting held on Monday, which condemned North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile firing on Saturday (Korean time), which was followed by two short-range ballistic missile launches two days later.

The first UN DK meeting held regarding North Korea this year ended without any results because opposition from China and Russia, both of whom are permanent members of the veto-right Security Council and are neighbors friendly with North Korea.

Last year, Beijing and Moscow blocked 10 UN DK meetings discussing North Korea throughout 2022, although Pyongyang conducted 69 unprecedented ballistic missile tests, marking a new record for ballistic missile launches in one year. North Korea's previous record was 25 times.

"There are other countries that don't act responsibly. Of course, the DPRK will be at the top of the list... but we don't keep the fact that permanent members of the UN Security Council, all member states of course, but especially permanent members of the Security Council. BB has a special obligation to fully implement the resolutions that have been issued by the UN Security Council itself," Price said.

"These are countries that have raised their own hands, voting for every resolution that has been passed from the Security Council space, and therefore (is) the obligation of these countries to uphold these resolutions and in turn, hold the DPRK accountable for its flagrant violations of some UN Security Council resolutions", he criticized.

On the occasion Price also reaffirmed the US commitment to defending South Korea and Japan, while calling on North Korea to engage in serious dialogue.

"We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK, and we ask the DPRK, as we do consistently, to engage in constructive dialogue," Price said.

"Our commitment, at the same time, to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan, remains steadfast," he stressed.