NSC Strongly Condemns North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch... Security Council Violation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Blue House strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch on the 4th, stating, "We strongly condemn the launch of ballistic missiles that clearly violate the UN Security Council resolutions and run counter to the international community's demands for peace and stability."

At the Standing Committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) held that day, chaired by National Security Office Director Suh Hoon, the Blue House conveyed that "North Korea should cease actions that pose a serious threat to the Korean Peninsula, the region, and the international community, and promptly return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy."

The Blue House reiterated the need to establish a strong defense posture, considering the growing security concerns amid signs of North Korea preparing for a nuclear test during the regime transition period.

The Blue House stated, "Ahead of the new government's inauguration on May 10, the government will firmly respond to any threats based on our robust military capabilities and the solid ROK-US alliance, ensuring the protection of our security," adding, "We will continue to take necessary response measures in close cooperation with related countries, including the United States, and the international community."

When North Korea launched an ICBM on March 24, President Moon Jae-in personally chaired the NSC meeting, emphasizing that North Korea's actions clearly violated UN Security Council resolutions and strongly condemning them.

The Blue House had refrained from using terms like "condemnation" or "regret" regarding North Korean launches for some time, but after the recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, it judged that North Korea had crossed the "red line" and issued a strong condemnation message.

However, the Blue House also announced the position that "the government urges North Korea to cease actions that pose a serious threat to the Korean Peninsula, the region, and the international community, and to promptly return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy." This was a repeated call for improving inter-Korean relations through dialogue and resuming denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States.

Prior to the Standing Committee meeting, President Moon Jae-in received a briefing on related developments from Director Suh immediately after North Korea's ballistic missile launch and instructed to respond flawlessly under close ROK-US cooperation. It is known that the Standing Committee meeting discussed and reviewed overall developments related to the ballistic missile launch as well as North Korea's nuclear test activities.

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