Washington, DC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today issued the following statement in response to the DPRK announcement that it plans to launch a satellite to celebrate the Great Leader’s 100th birthday:
"This wouldn't be a move in the real interests of the DPRK and it's troubling. It certainly violates the spirit of the commitments the DPRK made just last month in Beijing, and would seriously undermine the credibility of its pledge to cooperate with the United States and our South Korean allies to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. If carried out, this satellite launch will contravene UN Security Council resolutions, and invite further international condemnation. The DPRK should reconsider its course, particularly if they ever want to see a different relationship with the community of nations.”
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