US State Department Condemns North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch, Emphasizes ROK-US-Japan Cooperation

Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken condemned North Korea's successive ballistic missile tests but reiterated his stance to resolve the issue through diplomacy.

The State Department stated on the 3rd (local time) that Secretary Blinken spoke with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong the previous day and conveyed this position.

In the call with Minister Chung, Secretary Blinken said, "We condemn North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches. They violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions." He also reaffirmed that "the United States remains open to diplomacy and dialogue with North Korea," emphasizing trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan for complete denuclearization.

The State Department explained that he also reaffirmed the ROK-U.S. alliance as the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, and discussed ways to deepen cooperation on regional and global issues.

During the call, the foreign ministers of South Korea and the U.S. expressed strong concern over North Korea's advancing missile capabilities. The two ministers reaffirmed the principle that the Korean Peninsula issue must be resolved diplomatically through dialogue, while cooperating closely based on tight ROK-U.S. coordination to encourage North Korea to come to the negotiating table promptly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.