NSC Standing Committee Condemns North Korean Provocations... "Violation of Security Council Resolutions"

Presidential Office: "If Kim Jong-un Decides, Nuclear Test Possible... Drastic Strengthening Measures Will Be Implemented"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] On the 28th, the Presidential Office's National Security Office immediately reported to President Yoon Seok-yeol after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), and held an emergency Standing Committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by Kim Sung-han, Director of the National Security Office.

Lee Jae-myung, Deputy Spokesperson of the Presidential Office, stated at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon that the NSC Standing Committee received a report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and discussed response measures regarding North Korea's additional ballistic missile provocations.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that from around 11:59 a.m. to 12:18 p.m. on the same day, they detected two SRBMs launched by North Korea from the Tongcheon area in Gangwon Province toward the East Sea. The two missiles were detected flying approximately 230 km, at an altitude of about 24 km, and at a speed of about Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).

The Standing Committee members pointed out, "North Korea repeatedly launched ballistic missiles, violated the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, and through shelling provocations, violated the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, and once again launched ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions."

A Presidential Office official explained that North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is in a position to conduct a seventh nuclear test whenever he decides. The official added that measures will be taken to significantly strengthen extended deterrence within the framework of the ROK-U.S. alliance and the ROK-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation.

The Standing Committee plans to use the upcoming ROK-U.S. joint air exercise, "Vigilant Storm," scheduled for next week, as an opportunity to further solidify the combined defense posture, ensuring that the government's efforts to revitalize the economy and the livelihoods of the people are not hindered in the slightest.

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