The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today expressed its regret at North Korea’s decision to launch a comuncations satellite via the testing of a space-launch vehicle, believed to be related to its balistic missile designs. The lanch was described as ‘cutting against the grain of efforts to secure the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula’ and ‘counter to the many positive strides towards a safer world that the US and Russia have begun this week’.
Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said “This is an unnecessary and provocative action by North Korea, which regardless of whether its intentions are peaceful, risks others seeing the launch as a threat to regional security. We hope that – as in the aftermath of their attempted test of a non-weaponised nuclear device in 2006, – North Korea now feels that it has ‘made its point’ and quickly returns to the crucal six-party talks.”
She continued, “This launch cuts against the grain of efforts to secure the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula – a process that is vital to proving that negotiations, not military attacks, are the correct way to counter the spread of nuclear technologies. In a week where we have seen many positive strides by the US and Russia towards a safer world, with fewer nuclear threats, this is particularly unhelpful. We hope that as previously stated, the US refrains from linking North Korea’s actions today with the ability of all parties to resume the very necessary disarmament talks.”