UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on N.Korea missile launches

The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches.

Pyongyang test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that fell within Japan's exclusive economic zone on Saturday. It launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Monday morning.

At the request of Japan, the United States and other member states, the Security Council convened an emergency gathering on Monday evening.

Member nations criticized North Korea for launching the missiles in violation of Security Council resolutions.

US Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the United Nations condemns in the strongest possible terms the latest launches of the three ballistic missiles by the North.

She accused the country of putting the Asian region and the entire world at risk of conflict.

The Security Council has been divided over its responses to North Korea's missile launches.

Japan and Western nations have been calling for stricter sanctions against Pyongyang, while China and Russia have blamed the United States for rising tensions around the Korean Peninsula.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230221_08/