N Korea accuses UN of double standard over missile firings, warns of consequences

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. double standard / ˈdʌb əl ˈstæn dərd / (n.) – a situation where one group, person, etc. is treated differently and unfairly from another when both should receive the same treatment
    Example:

    The referee seemed to have a double standard when calling out violations. He was much stricter on one team than the other.


  2. consequence / ˈkɒn sɪˌkwɛns / (n.) – a result or effect of an action, situation, or decision
    Example:

    At my school, the consequence for cheating on an exam is an automatic F.


  3. mandate / ˈmæn deɪt / (n.) – an official command or permission given by someone with authority
    Example:

    After his major win in the election, the mayor said he had a mandate from the people to clean up the city.


  4. sanction / ˈsæŋk ʃən / (n.) – an action taken or order given against a country to force it to obey international laws
    Example:

    Any country that refuses to sign the peace agreement will suffer economic sanctions.


  5. sovereignty / ˈsɒv rɪn ti / (n.) – the power of a state or country to lead itself and control its own government
    Example:

    Some people are afraid that the new international treaty may lessen their country’s sovereignty.


Article

Read the text below.

North Korea on March 29 accused the United Nations of a “double standard” over its reaction to the North’s recent missile launches, warning it of a serious consequence.


On March 25, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in a defiance of U.N. resolutions that ban such launches by North Korea. The U.N. Security Council subsequently adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of U.N. experts monitoring sanctions against North Korea.


Some experts say North Korea’s missile launches, the first of their kind in a year, were aimed at applying pressure on the new U.S. government of President Joe Biden.


“It constitutes a denial of sovereignty and an apparent double standard that the UNSC … takes issue with the normal activities which fall within the right of our state to self-defense,” senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official Jo Chol Su said in a statement carried by state media.


Observers say North Korea could test-fire longer-range missiles in coming weeks. (AP)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • North Korea accused the U.N. of a double standard and claimed that the missile launches were “normal activities which fall within the right” of its state to self-defense. Do you agree? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Observers say North Korea could test-fire longer-range missiles in coming weeks. In your opinion, how concerned should Japan and other neighboring countries be about the missile launches? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of U.N. experts monitoring sanctions against North Korea. Do you think this was the right move? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think it’s likely that North Korea’s relationship with other countries will drastically change within the next 10 years or so? Why or why not? Discuss.