Following North Korea’s latest launch of a ballistic missile on Monday, Pakistan has voiced concern and called for diplomatic engagement and dialogue to address the challenges confronting the Korean Peninsula on Thursday. North Korea had fired a ballistic missile into the sea at the same time United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken was holding meetings in Seoul, South Korea’s capital including a meeting with Acting President Choi Sang-mok. Pakistan’s Ambassador and representative to the United Nations Munir Akram told the UN Security Council that the country “strongly supports the calls for revival of talks among the relevant parties”, two days after the ballistic missile was fired off what Pyongyang described as a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) loaded with a hypersonic glide vehicle. Akram also called these developments detrimental to regional and international peace and security. Pakistan, he said, supported the objective of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the implementation of the relevant UNSC resolutions, and the goals of global non-proliferation and disarmament. “Provocations such as missile tests on the one hand – and coercive actions and threats on the other – must be ended,” the Pakistani envoy said. “Pakistan opposes any further nuclear weapons testing in Korea or elsewhere,” he added. “We hope that the Security Council will find ways of reviving the dialogue and playing its due role in reducing tensions and threats to peace and security in the region.” The South Korean military had detected “one projectile presumed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile”, as quoted by Al Jazeera. Following the launch, a senior UN official opened the debate by warning that North Korea has been actively working towards acquiring new military capabilities that undermine the global non-proliferation architecture. “While stating that the launch had no negative impact on the security of neighbouring countries, [Pyongyang] regrettably did not issue airspace or maritime safety notifications,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations Khaled Khiari. According to the country’s official statement, the system can “deal a serious military strike to a rival by effectively breaking any of its dense defensive barriers”, he said. For his part, North Korean Ambassador Song Kim stressed that the test-fire of a new-type intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile is part of the plan to develop national defence capabilities to enhance the sustainability of the strategic deterrent. If “physical conflict” is created on the Peninsula due to “the reckless mania kicked up by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea)”, the Council should be held accountable for criminalising the just exercise of his country’s sovereign right by applying double standards, Ambassador Song had asserted.