Brussels 02.07.2024 “The European Union strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) launch of ballistic missiles on 1 July, which constitutes another violation of UN Security Council resolutions” reads the statement by the spokesperson on the recent launch of ballistic missiles. (Picture above: illustration, DPRK soldiers)

“The EU reiterates its call on the DPRK to cease all illegal actions that threaten regional and international peace and security. We urge the DPRK to accept the offers of dialogue by relevant parties and to comply with its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

“We are also gravely concerned by deepening DPRK-Russia cooperation in flagrant violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. We reiterate our strong call on the DPRK and Russia to cease illegal arms transfers.

“The EU is ready to work with all partners in promoting a meaningful diplomatic process aimed at the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”.

A ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Monday July 1 might have had an “abnormal” flight trajectory and could have fallen inland, highly likely near the capital of Pyongyang, the South Korean military said.

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on July 1 in early morning hours, according to reports from the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese governments.

The missiles, launched at 5:05 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. local time, had two different flight distances, 600 km for the first and 120 km for the second, according to a statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

When asked about the disparate distances, Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the JCS, in a briefing said, “There is the possibility that the second launched missile had an abnormal flight in the early stage.”

“If it had exploded during an abnormal flight, there is the possibility that debris fell inland,” Lee said, clarifying that an “explosion” is one of many possibilities. The military is “comprehensively analyzing” various possibilities.

He added that no damage has been confirmed so far.