He noted the US Security Council has strongly condemned the DPRK's highly destabilizing behavior and its fragrant violation of its international obligations by conducting ballistic missile launches.

"Moreover, the DPRK's nuclear program is at a tipping point. The international community must maintain the sanctions pressure to stop the DPRK's provocative behavior and find a way to return to the path of the denuclearization of North Korea."

Ban emphasized the importance of building peace on the Korean Peninsula, which is also important for regional and international security.

He also criticized the United States for its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, saying the move stands "in stark contradiction" to relevant international efforts.

"Taking this opportunity, I would like to remind all the state parties of the agreement that this is an international agreement," he stressed. "It should be abided by and implemented faithfully by all the state parties." (Yonhap)