US-ROK and ROK-Japan North Korea Nuclear Representatives "Strongly Condemn North Korea's Resumption of Missile Launches"

South Korea-US, South Korea-Japan Senior Representatives on North Korea's Short-Range SRBM Launch Hold Phone Talks on 17th
Violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, Illegal Nuclear and Missile Development Cannot Be Justified

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The senior representatives for North Korea's nuclear issue from South Korea, the United States, and Japan strongly condemned North Korea's launch of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) on the 17th, just eight days after its previous launch.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kim Gun, South Korea's chief negotiator for the Korean Peninsula peace talks, held separate phone consultations on the afternoon of the same day with Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, and Takehiro Funakoshi, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The three senior representatives pointed out North Korea's attempt, through a statement by Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on the same day, to shift responsibility for rising regional tensions caused by North Korean provocations onto external parties.

They reiterated that North Korea's illegal nuclear and missile development, which clearly violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, can never be justified under any circumstances.

Furthermore, they emphasized that if North Korea truly desires peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the solution is to return to dialogue rather than further provocations, urging North Korea to make the right choice.

The three senior representatives agreed to thoroughly prepare for the possibility of additional provocations by North Korea while continuing to strengthen close bilateral and trilateral cooperation for a firm and unified international response.

Earlier, in response to the strengthening of extended deterrence by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, North Korea issued a statement under the name of Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui warning that military responses would become more intense, and about an hour and 40 minutes later, launched one SRBM into the East Sea.

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