반기문 유엔 사무총장이 북한의 수소폭탄(水素爆彈) 실험 발표와 관련, 심각한 문제가 될 것이라며 개탄스럽다는 입장을 밝혔다.
반기문 사무총장은 6일 오전 유엔본부에서 가진 기자회견에서 "여러차례의 유엔 안전보장이사회 결의안을 비롯한 국제사회의 통합된 노력에도 불구하고 또다시 핵실험을 한 것은 심각한 문제가 초래될 것"이라고 말했다.
반기문 총장은 "이번 사태는 핵실험의 국제규범에 대한 중대한 위반이며 동북아 지역의 안정과 국제적인 비확산의 노력을 심각하게 해치는 행위라는 점에서 확실하게 규탄(糾彈)한다"고 강조했다.
반총장은 북한이 더 이상의 추가적인 핵활동을 중단하고 비핵화의 검증 규정을 따를 것을 촉구했다. 그는 '포괄적인 핵실험 규제협정기구(CTBTO)'를 포함한 관련 국제기구와 긴밀히 공조하여 이번 사태를 예의 주시할 것이라고 덧붙였다.
비엔나에 본부를 둔 CTBTO는 세계 337개의 핵시설에서 핵실험의 징후(徵候)를 감시하는 국제 모니터링 시스템(IMS)을 가동할 수 있도록 하고 있다.
한편 유엔 국제원자력기구(IAEA)의 아마노 유키야 사무총장은 성명을 통해 북한이 유엔 안보리의 모든 결의안을 이행할 것을 강력히 촉구했다.
그는 관련당사국간에 정치적 합의가 이뤄진다면 IAEA가 언제라도 북한에서 핵 검증활동을 통해 북핵사태의 평화적 해결에 기여할 준비가 돼 있다고 밝혔다.
뉴욕=임지환기자 newsroh@gmail.com
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UN deplores ‘deeply troubling’ hydrogen bomb test announced by DPR Korea
photo by CTBTO
The United Nations at all levels today deplored the underground nuclear test announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling it “deeply troubling” and the UN Security Council vowing to immediately begin considering the “significant measures” it had vowed to take in the event of another nuclear test by the country.
Calling the announced incident “a grave contravention of the international norm against nuclear testing,” Mr. Ban, addressing reporters at UN Headquarters, added: “This act is profoundly destabilizing for regional security and seriously undermines international non-proliferation efforts. I condemn it unequivocally.”
The UN chief went on to demand that the DPRK cease any further nuclear activities and meet its obligations for verifiable denuclearization.
“We are monitoring and assessing developments in close coordination with the concerned international organisations – including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) – and interested parties,” concluded the Secretary-General.
The Vienna-based CTBTO, which will be officially established when the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty enters into force, oversees the International Monitoring System (IMS), which, when complete, consist of 337 facilities worldwide to monitor the planet for signs of nuclear explosions.
Immediately following urgent closed-door talks this morning, members of the Security Council strongly condemned this test, which the deemed a clear violation of resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), and 2094 (2013), and of the non-proliferation regime.
In a statement to the press, the Council’s 15 members also recalled that they have previously expressed determination to take "further significant measures" in the event of another DPRK nuclear test, and in line with this commitment and the gravity of this violation, they said the Council will begin to work immediately on such measures in a new resolution.
Following the announcement today by the DPRK, the head of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that if the nuclear test is confirmed, it is in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is “deeply regrettable.”
“I strongly urge the DPRK to implement fully all relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA,” said Director General Yukiya Amano in a statement.
He added that the IAEA remains ready to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue “by resuming its nuclear verification activities in the DPRK once a political agreement is reached among countries concerned.”
Meanwhile, the CTBTO has said that its monitoring stations picked up “an unusual seismic event” in the DPRK today at 01:30:00 (UTC), and that its initial location estimate shows that the event took place in the area of the DPRK's nuclear test site. If confirmed this will be the fourth nuclear test carried out by the country since 2006. CTBTO experts are “analysing the event to establish more about its nature.”
“If confirmed as a nuclear test, this act constitutes a breach of the universally accepted norm against nuclear testing; a norm that has been respected by 183 countries since 1996,” said the Executive Secretary of the CBTO, Lassina Zerbo, in a statement.
“It is also a grave threat to international peace and security,” he continued. “I urge the DPRK to refrain from further nuclear testing and to join the 183 States Signatories who have signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.”
"It’s about time that we be more proactive rather than being reactive to what the North Koreans are doing," Mr. Zerbo underscored in an interview with UN Radio.
Also in a statement today, the President of the General Assembly said he was “dismayed and disappointed” by the news of an underground nuclear test by the DPRK.
“Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction threaten the existence of humankind and must be eliminated,” said Mogens Lykketoft.
“The Democratic People's Republic of Korea should abandon its nuclear weapon and missile programmes in a verifiable and irreversible manner, cease all related activities and comply with all its international obligations, including the UN Security Council and IAEA board of governors resolutions as well as other international disarmament and non-proliferation norms.” he added.
He further called on the country to pursue its objectives by “choosing dialogue over demonstrations of power that present a serious threat to global peace and security.”