UK, France And Germany Call For North Korea Sanctions

One of the projectiles launched by North Korea in August this year (Picture: KCNA).

Britain, Germany and France have condemned a spate of ballistic missile launches by North Korea since May.

A joint statement was given after the United Nations Security Council was briefed on the implementation on sanctions against the country.

The three countries are urging North Korea to take "concrete steps" in new talks with the United States, "with a view to abandoning all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner".

The statement called on UN members "to strictly enforce" sanctions against North Korea, referring to the dozen sets of ballistic launches since May this year, "including what appears to be a medium-range missile launched from underwater".

This must include repatriating all North Koreans "earning income" abroad no later than 22 December.

Recently reported food shortages and other humanitarian issues faced by the people of North Korea are said to be "the result of the misallocation of resources and restrictions" the government imposes on humanitarian workers and officials.

It says these moves undermine regional security and violate unanimously adopted Security Council resolutions.

An escalation of launches in recent months is said to be a means of pressuring Washington into meeting leader Kim Jong Un's demand for a revived nuclear diplomacy by the end of December.

A failed second summit with US President Donald Trump in February saw a breakdown in progress between the two nations, although the American leader did make an unprecedented visit to North Korea in June.

This week, North Korea protested planned US-South Korean military drills, which Pyongyang calls rehearsals for an invasion.