US Must Make North Korea Aware of ‘Consequences’ of Its Launches: Nuclear Envoy

People watch a television broadcast showing a file image of a North Korean rocket launch at the Seoul Railway Station on May 31, 2023. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

North Korea must be made aware of the “consequences” of its escalatory behavior after its recent spy satellite launch sparked tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. nuclear envoy said on June 4.

U.S. nuclear envoy Sung Kim said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency (YNA) that the United States must convince North Korea that diplomacy is “the only viable path” toward alleviating regional tensions.

“It’s important to make clear to the DPRK that its escalatory behavior has consequences,” he told YNA, referring to North Korea by its official name: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“The DPRK has increasingly engaged in threatening and irresponsible rhetoric, including by characterizing some of its missile launches and other military activities as trial runs for the use of tactical nuclear weapons.”

He said the United States will maintain close consultations with South Korea, Japan, and other allies on “how to best engage the DPRK, deter aggression, and coordinate international responses” to North Korea’s violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

“Any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response,” the envoy said. ROK is the acronym for South Korea’s official name: the Republic of Korea.

Sung Kim, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea, speaks during a trilateral meeting between Japan, the United States, and South Korea, to discuss North Korea in Tokyo, on Sept. 14, 2021. David Mareuil/Pool via Reuters/File Photo

Kim also urged China, North Korea’s closest ally, to use its influence to rein in North Korea’s provocative actions and to fulfill its obligations as a Security Council member in strengthening sanctions on North Korea.

“It is unfortunate that, in recent years, the international community has not been able to speak with one voice in condemning the DPRK’s reckless and destabilizing activity,” he said.

China and Russia—which are both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council—vetoed a U.S.-led resolution in May 2022 that would have imposed new sanctions on North Korea over a spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

At the council briefing on June 2, China’s U.N. ambassador, Geng Shuang, said the recent U.S.–South Korea Washington Declaration and the planned visit of a U.S. strategic nuclear submarine to the Peninsula have “seriously reinforced the DPRK’s sense of insecurity.”

“Such practices by the U.S. are filled with Cold War mentality,” Geng said, accusing the United States of pursuing “geopolitical self-interest” driven policies.

North Korea’s Failed Satellite Launch

The council briefing was held after North Korea’s failed attempt to launch a spy satellite into space on May 31. The rocket reportedly crashed into the West Sea of Korea because of the “abnormal start of the two-stage engine.”

Japan and South Korea issued emergency alerts in certain areas after detecting the launch. Japan warned beforehand that it would shoot down North Korea’s rocket if it entered its territory.

South Korea’s military stated that it located an object presumed to be part of North Korea’s rocket in waters 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Eocheong Island and was salvaging it.

An analysis of the salvaged debris will provide insight into various aspects of North Korea’s “space launch vehicle” and satellite technology, said Yang Uk, an analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

“It will also be possible to establish if components were made with North Korea’s own technology or they were Chinese or Russian-made,” Yang told The Chosun Ilbo on June 1.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said her nation will boost efforts to enhance its spy capabilities despite the rocket failure, state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

Kim said the regime doesn’t see the need for dialogue with the United States.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.