South Korea has urged the permanent members of the UN Security Council(UNSC) to fulfill their special responsibilities regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons advancement, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBM).

Speaking at a public session of the UNSC on Monday, South Korean Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook said the North is the only country that has abused membership to the Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT) by developing nuclear arms.

The ambassador specifically called on the five UNSC permanent member states – the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China, all of which are recognized by the NPT as nuclear states – to act on their special responsibility.

Hwang’s comment, though mentioning all five permanent members, was likely aimed at China and Russia in response to their persistent opposition to additional UN sanction against the North for its recent string of missile provocations, including the latest test of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile the regime dubbed the “Hwasong-18.”

The ambassador seemingly dismissed Beijing and Moscow's claims that Pyongyang's provocations have been sparked by Seoul and Washington's joint military drills, stressing that the Hwasong-18 test is a part of a long-term development project.

Accusing the North of buying time to advance its nuclear and missile programs through weakened sanctions enforcement and the paralysis of UNSC functions, Hwang called for reinforced international cooperation to block its financing for weapons of mass destruction(WMD).

[Photo : UN Photo/Evan Schneider]