U.N. Chief Says North Korea Has Spawned Unprecedented Tension

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned on Wednesday that North Korea’s repeated tests of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles had created unprecedented tension in the region.

 

Speaking at a news conference before his last annual General Assembly session as leader of the United Nations, where his two-term tenure as secretary general ends on Dec. 31, Mr. Ban also nudged the United States and China to remain united in their response.

 

“Never in the past have I ever seen such kind of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” Mr. Ban, a former foreign minister of South Korea and possible presidential contender there, said at the news conference, customarily held a few days before the General Assembly’s annual meeting.

 

He urged the Security Council to take “urgent actions.” But as he has done before, Mr. Ban demurred on what that action should be, saying only that he was heartened that the United States and China had begun negotiations on next steps.

 

Read More: U.N. Chief Says North Korea Has Spawned Unprecedented Tension – The New York Times