On 7 November the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office issued a short statement responding to reports of a further ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The department said such activity breaches multiple UN Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to cease provocations and engage in meaningful diplomacy.
UN Security Council decisions adopted since 2006 prohibit any launches that use ballistic missile technology by the DPRK. The Council reiterated this language and expanded measures in resolutions 2321 (2016), 2371 (2017) and 2397 (2017), which collectively underpin today’s characterisation of the event as unlawful under international law.
The UK implements these obligations through The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, made under the Sanctions and Anti‑Money Laundering Act 2018. The regime sets out financial, trade, shipping, aircraft and immigration measures, alongside licensing provisions for limited exemptions.
In practical terms, the Regulations apply to all ‘UK persons’ worldwide and require firms to screen counterparties, verify end‑use and routing, and avoid arrangements that circumvent prohibitions. Civil enforcement of trade sanctions sits with the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation, while the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation maintains the financial sanctions regime and licensing.
The monitoring context remains constrained after Russia’s veto in March 2024 prevented renewal of the UN 1718 Panel of Experts, which lapsed in April 2024. To help fill that gap, the UK and partners established the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team in October 2024; its second report was issued on 22 October 2025.
The diplomatic track referenced by the FCDO is consistent with the Council’s position that it is prepared to strengthen, modify, suspend or lift measures in light of DPRK compliance, and that a peaceful, diplomatic solution remains the objective.
While no new domestic steps were announced, repeated testing engages existing UK measures. Sectoral restrictions and caps in UNSCR 2397, including strict controls on refined petroleum supplies and ship‑to‑ship transfers, remain in force, as does the UK asset‑freeze regime. Firms should ensure screening against current designations and review exposure to maritime risk typologies.