Government Statement on North Korea Provocation: "Any Provocation Will Be Immediately Punished... Must Respond to Bold Initiative"

Yoon on North Korea's ICBM Provocation: "Implementing Strengthened Extended Deterrence... Pursuing Strong International Sanctions"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] On the 18th, the government warned that North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch is a "serious provocation that escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," stating, "We have overwhelming response capabilities and the will to immediately retaliate against any provocation by North Korea." President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed to strengthen the implementation of extended deterrence against North Korea and to push for strong sanctions by the international community.

The Presidential Office issued a "government statement" on the same day, strongly condemning North Korea's ICBM launch and expressing this position.

First, the government stated, "We possess overwhelming response capabilities and the will to immediately retaliate against any provocation by North Korea, and North Korea must not misjudge this." Emphasizing the position that "any acts related to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, prohibited by Security Council resolutions, cannot be justified for any reason," it added, "Based on close ROK-U.S. cooperation, we will work closely with the UN and the international community to hold North Korea accountable for its provocations."

The government also brought up its denuclearization program for North Korea, the "Bold Initiative." It stated, "The economic hardship and the suffering of the people, caused by the North Korean regime's wrong choices, will worsen," and urged, "North Korea must immediately halt provocations and promptly respond to the 'Bold Initiative,' which is supported by the international community."

Earlier, President Yoon visited the emergency Standing Committee of the National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Kim Sung-han, the Director of the National Security Office, and instructed to strengthen the implementation of extended deterrence against North Korea and to push for strong sanctions by the international community. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced around 10:15 a.m. that they detected one long-range ballistic missile (ICBM) launched from the Sunan area of Pyongyang toward the East Sea. The ICBM's flight distance was about 1,000 km, altitude about 6,100 km, and speed approximately Mach 22 (22 times the speed of sound). This is the eighth ICBM launch by North Korea this year. North Korea also claimed to have successfully test-launched the ‘Hwasong-15’ and ‘Hwasong-17’ ICBMs from the Sunan area of Pyongyang toward the East Sea on March 24. Military authorities are currently analyzing whether the ICBM launched this time is a ‘Hwasong-15’ or ‘Hwasong-17.’

At the meeting, President Yoon said, "Strengthen the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture, actively implement the agreed measures to enhance extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S., and strengthen ROK-U.S.-Japan security cooperation," and added, "Work with the U.S. and the international community to promote strong condemnation and sanctions against North Korea, including responses through the UN Security Council."

Regarding North Korea's repeated missile provocations, the Presidential Office plans to respond strictly based on cooperation with the international community. President Yoon also emphasized during the joint press release at the ROK-Spain summit, "We strongly condemned North Korea's unprecedented frequency and intensity of ballistic missile launches recently," and said, "Just this morning, they launched an ICBM. Prime Minister S?nchez and I agreed to closely cooperate to lead a unified response from the international community."

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