Following Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea was temporarily divided into two occupied zones along the 38th parallel, with the United States administering the southern half and the Soviet Union administering the northern half. From 1910 to 1945, the Korean Peninsula was subject to colonial rule by Japan. In 1392, the Joseon Dynasty took power, and ruled until the Korean Empire replaced it in 1897. The Korean Peninsula was first unified as a sovereign state in 918 under the Goryeo Dynasty (the source of the English name 'Korea'). Australia continues to raise its concerns over social conditions and human rights violations and assess the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. Separately, Australia suspended payments to the UN World Food Program's (WFP) operations in DPRK in October 2017 after the DPRK refused several requests by Australian officials to visit, rendering us unable to determine whether our funds were being used as intended. Australia's limited bilateral aid program to the DPRK was suspended in 2002 due to concerns about the DPRK's nuclear weapons program. The launch on 2 October 2019 was the DPRK's first of a submarine-launched ballistic missile since August 2016.Īustralia has called on the DPRK to cease its provocative actions and make a sustained commitment to dialogue.

The launch on was the DPRK's first of a ballistic missile since November 2017. In 2019, the DPRK launched ballistic missiles on 13 occasions from 4 May to 28 November, involving 24 short range ballistic missiles and one medium range underwater launched ballistic missile. Australia has consistently condemned the DPRK's nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches over more than a decade, all of which have destabilised the region and contravened the multiple resolutions on the DPRK adopted by the UN Security Council since 2006. The relationship continues to be severely constrained by Australia's deep concerns over the DPRK's nuclear, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. We have also supplemented those sanctions with our own autonomous sanctions against the DPRK.Īustralia maintains only limited diplomatic relations with the DPRK.

Until the DPRK takes clear steps towards denuclearisation, Australia is committed to enforcing strictly sanctions against the DPRK adopted by the UN Security Council. We commend the United States and the ROK, in particular, for their commitment to talks with the DPRK. These programs pose a serious threat to international peace and security and a major challenge to global non-proliferation objectives.Īustralia continues to work closely with the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and other countries to support the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the DPRK, as required by United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world, it maintains one of the largest militaries and devotes significant resources to its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development programs. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, also known as North Korea) is a highly centralised totalitarian state.

North korea communist