The international community has been struggling to respond to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's steadily expanding nuclear program. US President Donald Trump has oscillated between massive threats to devastate the DPRK and holding out the prospect of talks.

On Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to impose fresh sanctions on the DPRK for violating the previous Security Council resolutions by conducting its sixth and strongest nuclear test on Sept 3. Last week, Federica Mogherin, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said Brussels would be prepared to take additional measures against Pyongyang, including travel bans and asset freezes on senior DPRK officials.

Why does the DRRK issue matter to Europe? Simply because any conflict in Northeast Asia could have huge geopolitical consequences and an immediate impact on global supply chains.