The UK Foreign Office has indicated that it continues to urge North Korea to return to constructive talks with the US
The United Kingdom is examining information on North Korea’s September 11 and 12 launches of a new long-range cruise missile and urges Pyongyang to negotiate with Washington. A UK Foreign Office spokesman told TASS on Monday.
“We are closely following the allegations about North Korea’s cruise missile test. We continue to urge North Korea to return to constructive talks with the United States”, – the UK Foreign Office said in response to a request for comment on the launch information.
The CTAC news agency reported on Monday that the DPRK military last weekend successfully conducted “tests of missile parts, <…> engines, various flight tests, control and guidance system tests, warhead tests <…> and others.” According to the CTAC, “The long-range cruise missiles flew for 7,580 seconds on <…> trajectories over DPRK territory and territorial waters and hit targets 1,500 km away.”
This was the third launch this year. On March 21, the DPRK launched two cruise missiles from the country’s east coast into the waters of the Sea of Japan, and a few days later launched two short-range ballistic missiles there as well.
The UN Security Council tightened the sanctions regime against Pyongyang on 5 August 2017 in response to the launch of the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile. Resolution 2371 includes a ban on exports from the DPRK of a range of minerals and products, including coal, iron, lead and seafood. Also, countries where North Korean workers are employed have been banned from increasing their numbers.
On 11 September 2017, the UNSC adopted a new package of sanctions against the DPRK. The measure was triggered by another nuclear weapons test in the country on 3 September 2017. Resolution 2375 imposed a ban on the purchase of textiles from the DPRK, the supply of natural gas and its condensates to the country, and the establishment of joint ventures with DPRK entities. It also imposed restrictions on the export of refined oil products – not more than 2 million barrels per year.