Foreign Minister Winston Peters has rejected North Korea's "aggressive rhetoric" towards New Zealand and its international partners.
New Zealand, alongside our partners, has helped enforce sanctions against North Korea since 2018. The sanctions are in response to North Korea continuing to launch ballistic missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The sanctions are intended to persuade the country to denuclearise and abandon its ballistic missile weapons capabilities.
Pyongyang, on Monday, demanded the countries immediately stop "blatant military intervention in the Asia-Pacific" by using UN sanctions it claimed was an excuse, a statement released by the DPRK foreign ministry to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The statement mentioned New Zealand, alongside the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Australia.
The outlet added that North Korea would take necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and security.
Peters, on Tuesday, said New Zealand stood by the international community in upholding rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments.
"North Korea, through its aggressive rhetoric and its supply of military related technologies to Russia in support of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, once again threatens peace and stability in our region," Peters said.
"North Korea would better serve its people by meaningfully re-engaging with the international community through diplomacy rather than threats."
As Foreign Minister in the mid-2000s, Peters supported the Six-Party talks aimed at negotiating an end to North Korea's nuclear programme and travelled to Pyongyang.
"The window existed then for a diplomatic solution that had the potential to see North Korea abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. If it had taken that sensible step then, North Korea and its citizens would today be a more secure and prosperous nation," Peters said.
"Instead, North Korea continues to defy UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions. The UNSC sanctions regime is a key element of the global effort to peacefully apply pressure on North Korea to denuclearise and abandon its ballistic missile programme.
"It is never too late for diplomacy to achieve what Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes never will, namely the reintegration of North Korea into the peaceful community of nations. Only then will its people have the full opportunity for the security and prosperity that a stable and peaceful region can offer."
Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated New Zealand's opposition to North Korea's missile and nuclear programmes after Pyongyang's condemnation.
The spokesperson said from mid-April to early May 2024, a New Zealand Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft was involved in monitoring and surveillance activities of illegal maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels, prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
"This follows New Zealand's regular contributions to sanctions monitoring in 2018, 2019 and 2021," the Ministry said.
It comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recent days inspected the country's artillery weapon system and attended the test-firing of such weapons. It follows his inspection last month of the test-firing of 240mm multiple-launch rockets.
He said the rocket system will "bring about a strategic change in strengthening the country's military's artillery capabilities".
