| May 1 to 6 | North
Korean media released a series of articles condemning the
ROK-U.S. Summit (Rodong)
･ Under the title, “The
escalating criticism, ridicule, and serious anxiety surrounding
the South Korean puppet.” |
| May
7 | S. Korea-Japan Summit (Seoul)
< Joint Press Conference (May 7) with the Korean and
Japanese Leaders on North Korea >
･ (President of the
Republic of Korea) “We confirmed that the cooperative bodies in
the fields of security and economy, including security talks
between foreign affairs and security authorities agreed upon at
the March summit, economic and security talks between the NSCs,
and the finance ministerial meeting, are in full operation.”
･ “It is important to share our awareness that North
Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses a grave threat not
only to the Korean Peninsula and Japan but also to global peace
and security, and it is important for the leaders of South
Korea, the United States, and Japan to closely communicate on
and discuss the topic at the trilateral summit on the occasion
of the upcoming G7 summit.”
･ “We welcomed discussion on
ways to operate a system to share real-time North Korean missile
warning data agreed upon at the ROK-U.S.-Japan Summit in Phnom
Penh in November and decided to continue close security
cooperation among the three nations.”
･ “The Washington
Declaration was agreed upon bilaterally between the United
States and South Korea, but it does not rule out the
participation of Japan. It has not been finalized and once it
gets on track, Japan will be able to join anytime.”
･
(Prime Minister of Japan) “Amid North Korea’s provocations and
visible attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo in the
region by force, we again agreed on the importance of enhancing
deterrence and response capabilities between the United States
and Japan, South Korea and the U.S., Korea and Japan, and among
Korea, the U.S., and Japan through security cooperation.”
･ “We welcomed the discussions taking place on the real-time
sharing of North Korean missile warning data, as agreed in last
November, and decided to deepen the discussions by holding a
trilateral summit with the U.S. at the G7 summit in Hiroshima.”
･ “The window for dialogue with North Korea remains
open.”
･ “I extend my appreciation to President Yoon for
voicing strong support for resolving the abductions issue.” |
| May 9 | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a
congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over
Moscow’s celebration of its Victory Day (KCNA) |
| May 11 (Local) | Chairman’s Statement of the 42nd ASEAN Summit
(May 10-11) (Labuan Bajo, Indonesia)
･ “We urged all
concerned parties to resume peaceful dialogue and continue
working towards the realization of lasting peace and stability
in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.” |
| May 15 | North
Korea’s Foreign Ministry slammed NATO for planning to open a
NATO liaison office in Japan (Rodong/KCNA) |
| May 15 (Local) | The
U.S. Department of State announced the 2022 Report on
International Religious Freedom (Washington, D.C.)
･
“North Korea’s religious freedom violations remain severe. The
regime executes and tortures its own people for their religious
activities.” |
| May 16 |
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the
non-permanent satellite-launching preparatory committee
(Rodong/KCNA)
･ Kim Jong Un inspected the launch-ready
military reconnaissance satellite No. 1 and approved the next
steps of the committee.
･ “Kim set forth the task to
organize a non-permanent satellite-launching preparatory
committee to make sure that the military reconnaissance
satellite No. 1 completed as of April will be launched at the
planned date and to firmly establish the satellite
intelligence-gathering capability by deploying several
reconnaissance satellites in succession.”
< The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(May 18) >
o “The announcement of North Korea’s
satellite launch plan once again demonstrates their focus on
illegal provocations while turning a blind eye to the plight of
its people.” “The Korean government will resolutely respond in
collaboration with the international community.” |
| May 17 | S.
Korea-Canada Summit (Seoul)
< Leaders' Joint Statement (May 17) in Commemoration
of the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between the
Republic of Korea and Canada on North Korea >
･ “We
reaffirmed Canada’s support for the goals of ROK’s Audacious
Initiative to achieve a denuclearized, peaceful, unified and
prosperous Korean Peninsula. This support includes the
augmentation of Canada's naval presence and participation in
multinational operations in the region, such as joint efforts to
monitor UN Security Council sanctions imposed against North
Korea.”
･ “Canada remains committed to working closely
with the ROK and the international community to address the
DPRK's actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions and
destabilize the North Pacific region.” “We condemned the DPRK's
ballistic missile and nuclear programs and called on the DPRK to
return to denuclearization talks as the sustainable way forward
for long-lasting peace, security, and prosperity.”
･ “The
ROK and Canada are also deeply concerned about the severe
violations of human rights in North Korea and the regime's
complete disregard for the well-being of its people.” “We remain
committed to strengthening cooperation to protect and promote
human rights in North Korea, seek accountability, and improve
the living conditions of the North Korean people.” |
| May 19 | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un laid a flower
before the grave of Hyon Chol Hae (Patriotic Martyrs’ Cemetery
in Sinmi-ri) on the occasion of the first anniversary of his
demise (Rodong/KCNA) |
| May
21 | S. Korea-US-Japan Summit
(Hiroshima, at the time of G7)
< Briefing Highlights of the Office of the President
>
･ The three leaders agreed to reinforce trilateral
strategic cooperation to boost deterrence against North Korea to
solidify a free and open international order. In particular,
they agreed to deepen concrete cooperation in specific sectors
such as trilateral security like sharing real-time information
on warnings for North Korean missiles, reinforcing trilateral
collaboration in Indo-Pacific strategy, economic security, and
involvement in Pacific Island countries. |
| May 19 to 21 | G7
Summit (Hiroshima)
< G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament
(May 19) on North Korea >
･ North Korea cannot and
will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State under the
NPT. We reiterate our unwavering commitment to the goal of North
Korea’s complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of
its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and any other
weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs
in accordance with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
< G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué (May 20) on North
Korea >
･ We strongly condemn North Korea’s
unprecedented number of unlawful ballistic missile launches.
Such reckless actions must be met with a swift, united, and
robust international response.
･ We reiterate our
unwavering commitment to the goal of North Korea’s complete,
verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear weapons
and existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.
･ We
are concerned about North Korea’s choice to prioritize its
unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs over the welfare of
the people in North Korea.
･ We call on North Korea to
accept repeated offers of dialogue, including from Japan, the
United States, and the Republic of Korea. We urge North Korea to
respect human rights, facilitate access for international
humanitarian organizations, and resolve the abductions issue
immediately. |
| May 21 |
S. Korea-Germany Summit (Seoul)
< S. Korea-Germany Joint Press Conference >
･ Germany understands the issues involving the Korean Peninsula
because it experienced its unification 33 years ago.
･ We
will make it clear that North Korea has nothing to gain from its
unlawful provocations, send a consistent message to the
international community and work closely together for North
Korea's denuclearization
･ German Chancellor Scholz
expressed unwavering support for South Korean’s efforts to
establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and its unification
vision. |
| May 22 | S. Korea-EU (President of the European Council
and President of the European Commission) Summit
< Joint Statement S. Korea-EU Summit >
･ We
strongly condemn the DPRK's repeated illegal ballistic missile
launches as well as its ongoing nuclear development and
references to the possible use of nuclear weapons. The DPRK's
reckless actions pose a serious threat to international and
regional peace and security.
･ The DPRK must immediately
comply with its obligations under UN Security Council
resolutions by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, any other
weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programmes and
existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and
irreversible manner and cease all related activities.
･
Emphasizing that the path to dialogue remains open, we call on
the DPRK to immediately cease all actions that raise military
tensions and return to denuclearization talks. |
| May 23 | The
South Korean government imposed sanctions on North Korean IT
workers and organizations (3 organizations and 7 individuals)
･ △ (Organization) Jinyong IT Cooperation Company,
Tongmyong Technology Trade Company, and Kumsong Academy △
(Individual) Kim Sang Man, Kim Ki Hyok, Kim Song Il, Jon Yon
Gun, Kim Hyo Dong, Yu Song Hyok, and Yun Song Il |
| May 23 (Local) | The U.S. Department of Treasury imposed
sanctions on North Korean IT worker and organizations
(Washington, D.C.)
･ △ (Organization) Jinyoung IT
Cooperation Company, the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau, the
110th Research Center, Pyongyang University of Automation △
(Individual) Kim Sang Man |
| May
23 (Local) | The U.S. Secretary
of State designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism
(The U.S. Federal Register) |
|
May 25 to June 15 | ROK-U.S.
Combined Joint Live-Fire Exercise (Pocheon, Gyeonggi) |
| May 27 | Japanese Prime Minister made remarks that he
wants to establish senior-level negotiations between Japan and
North Korea in a bid to arrange a summit (Tokyo) |
| May 29 | Vice-chairman of the North’s Central Military
Commission Ri Pyong-chol issued a statement, claiming that the
North plans to launch a reconnaissance satellite in June (May
30, KCNA)
･ “The No. 1 military reconnaissance satellite
to be launched in June and various reconnaissance means to be
newly tested are indispensable to strengthen the North's war
preparedness.” North Korea aims “to expand reconnaissance and
information means and improve various defensive and offensive
weapons and have the timetables for carrying out their
development plans.” |
| May
29 | North Korea notified the Japan
Coast Guard of its reconnaissance satellite launch plan (between
00:00, May 31 and 00:00, June 11)
< Statement by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (May 29) >
o “North Korea’s so-called
‘satellite launch’ is a serious violation of UN Security Council
resolutions prohibiting any launch using ballistic missile
technology and is clearly an illegal act that cannot be
justified under any pretext.”
o “We strongly warn against
North Korea’s announcement of provocations actions that threaten
regional peace and urge them to immediately withdraw their
illegal launch plan.” “If North Korea presses ahead, it will pay
the price and suffer.” “We will make a decisive response based
on the close cooperation of South Korea, the United States, and
Japan.” |
| May 29 | A statement by North Korea’s Vice Foreign
Minister Pak Sang-gil regarding the Japanese Prime Minister’s
remarks (May 27) willing to establish senior-level negotiations
with North Korea. The North demanded that Japan change its
stance on the abductions issue. (May 29, KCNA)
･ “There
is no reason for North Korea and Japan not to meet if Japan
tries to make a new decision and seeks a way to improve
relations. Japan must demonstrate its willingness through its
actions.” |
| May 30 | North Korea notified IMO (International
Maritime Organization) of a satellite launch plan |
| May 30 to June 2 | Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)
High-Level Political Meeting (Jeju) |
| May 31 | North Korea
fired a satellite toward the South from Dongchang-ri,
Pyeonganbuk-do (May 31, KCNA)
･ JSC, “It passed over the
distant sea west of Baengnyeongdo and fell over 200 km west of
Eocheongdo.”
< Emergency Meeting of NSC Standing Committee (May 31)
>
o The NSC standing committee members emphasized that
this launch, regardless of whether it succeeded, was a grave
violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious
provocation threatening peace and safety on the Korean Peninsula
and in the international community, and condemned this. Also,
the participants agreed to maintain a coordination posture with
allies and friendly nations while continuing to carefully
monitor the possibility of North Korea's additional
launches. |
| May 31 | North Korea announced that the satellite launch
failed and implied another launch (May 31, KCNA)
･ “A new
type satellite vehicle rocket, Chollima-1, crashed into the
Yellow Sea after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of
the second stage engine after the separation of the first
stage.” “The North stated its intent to thoroughly investigate
the serious defects revealed, take urgent scientific and
technological measures, complete any necessary tests, and
conduct the second launch as soon as possible.” |
