The European Union strongly regrets the recent actions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which raise tensions, destabilise the situation and undermine efforts towards a diplomatic solution on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK’s demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong today, combined with its increased military rhetoric, and its severance of official communication links with Seoul are unacceptable, and any additional provocative and damaging steps must be avoided. It is imperative to keep lines of communication open between DPRK and the Republic of Korea in order to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations, as well as to build confidence between the two sides.
As the European Union, we continue to encourage dialogue and the restart of a sustained diplomatic process aimed at building trust and establishing lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, free of nuclear weapons at the earliest possible time. In the absence of concrete actions by the DPRK towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear and other missile programmes, the EU will continue to insist on and work with countries around the world to ensure that the substantial sanctions in place are fully implemented and respected by all