Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing in relation to the suspected recent firing of short-range missiles by North Korea.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Strategic Rocket Force put on a SCUD-class short-range ballistic missile demonstration for Kim Jong Un on 29 June 2014. Two missiles were launched from its southeast coastline toward the sea. On 9 July, and again on 13 July, the DPRK launched further SCUD-class short range missiles. Two missiles were launched from the southwest of the country, landing in the sea to the east of the DPRK. No prior notice was given in advance of these launches.

As a result of these launches the UK has written to the UN Committee responsible for the DPRK sanctions regime and asked it to investigate these breaches of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. We have also joined the US, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan, in a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), expressing concern at the lack of proper prior notification of ballistic missile launches and asking ICAO to remind the DPRK of its responsibilities for international civil aviation. In response, the President of the Council of ICAO said on 14 July 2014 that he has brought the matter to the attention of the DPRK Minister of Land and Marine Transportation, reminding the Minister of previous correspondence, expressing concerns for the safety of international civil aviation and urging him to take the steps required to fulfil the requirements of the Annexes under the Chicago Convention.

On 17 July, the UK and other UN Security Council Members met to exchange views regarding the DPRK's recent series of ballistic missile launches. Following this meeting, Members of the Security Council condemned the launches as violations of UNSCRs and urged the DPRK to comply fully with the relevant UNSCRs.