Australia condemns North Korea’s return to intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing, including its launches on 27 February, 5 and 24 March – with the latest, just yesterday, landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. This represents a serious escalation of North Korea’s destabilising behaviour and poses an unacceptable risk to our region.
North Korea’s ICBM testing is in flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions and significantly threatens global peace and security, stability, and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. Australia will continue to hold North Korea to account, and those who seek to help it evade sanctions.
Following the 27 February test, Australia responded quickly to impose new targeted financial sanctions against three North Korea-related entities. The entities, from North Korea, Russia and China, were involved in UN sanctions violations or were associated with North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction or missile programs.
Today we announce additional targeted financial sanctions on three more entities who seek to help North Korea evade sanctions.
- Korean Ungum Corporation (North Korean entity)
- Russian Financial Society (Russian entity)
- Commercial Bank Agrosoyuz (Russian entity)
We urge all countries to fully abide by their obligations under UN Security Council resolutions and take active steps to prevent North Korea from evading sanctions. The Security Council must not let North Korea normalise or achieve international acquiescence of its illegal actions. Australia urges the Security Council to respond decisively to North Korea’s escalating behaviour. We remain resolutely committed to sanctions enforcement.
Australia again calls on North Korea to cease all provocations, to take concrete steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation and engage in meaningful talks with the United States and the Republic of Korea. Dialogue is the only way permanent peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula will be achieved.
