A combination of pictures shows a new submarine-launched ballistic missile during a test in this undated photo released on October 19, 2021 by North Korea鈥檚 Korean Central 好色先生TV Agency (KCNA). (KCNA via REUTERS)
UNITED NATIONS聽 鈥� The United States has offered to meet North Korea without preconditions and made clear that Washington has no hostile intent toward Pyongyang, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said on Wednesday as the Security Council met over North Korea鈥檚 latest missile launch.
North Korea 鈥� formally known as the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea (DPRK) 鈥� has long accused the United States of having a hostile policy toward the Asian state and asserted that it has the right to develop weapons for self-defense.
鈥淭he DPRK must abide by the Security Council resolutions and it is time to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue toward the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,鈥� Thomas-Greenfield told reporters.
North Korea has been subjected to U.N. sanctions since 2006, which have been steadily strengthened in a bid to cut off funding for Pyongyang鈥檚 nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The measures include a ban on ballistic missile launches.
鈥淲e have offered to meet the DPRK officials, without any preconditions, and we have made clear that we hold no hostile intent toward the DPRK,鈥� Thomas-Greenfield said.
North Korea鈥檚 mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thomas-Greenfield鈥檚 remarks.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump met three times in 2018 and 2019, but failed to make progress on U.S. calls for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and North Korea鈥檚 demands for an end to sanctions.
Thomas-Greenfield said President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration was 鈥減repared to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy.鈥�
European council members 鈥� France, Estonia and Ireland 鈥� also urged North Korea to 鈥渆ngage meaningfully鈥� with repeated offers of dialogue by the United States and South Korea.
North Korea on Tuesday test-fired a new, smaller ballistic missile from a submarine, prompting the United States and Britain to raise the issue in the 15-member U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.
鈥淚t is the latest in a series of reckless provocations,鈥� Thomas-Greenfield told reporters. 鈥淭hese are unlawful activities. They are in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. And they are unacceptable.鈥�