DPRK Spends Vital Resources on Missile Program Ignoring Nationals' Needs - UN

The UN Security Council said in a statement that North Korea spent vital resources on ballistic missile launches while its citizens continued to live in dire conditions.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — North Korea spends vital resources on ballistic missile launches while its citizens continue to live in dire conditions, the UN Security Council said in a statement.

"The members of the Security Council further regretted that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles while Democratic People’s Republic of Korea citizens have great unmet needs," the statement said on Tuesday.

Members of the Council condemned all missile launches by North Korea and stressed that such activities lead to increased tensions in the region, contribute to the development of North Korean nuclear weapons delivery systems and fuel arms race in the region.

The Council underlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region as a whole and called on all member states to redouble their efforts to implement fully the sanctions imposed on North Korea by the Council.

On Monday, media reported that North Korea fired four ballistic missiles, and three landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the missiles did not inflict any damages. South Korean military claimed that the missiles had flown more than 600 miles.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang said that the launches were a successful drill to strike US military facilities located in Japan.