NATO Secretary-General: "North Korea Launches Another Missile... Closely Monitoring and Condemning North Korean Nuclear Threat"

"Events in Asia and Europe Are Important to Each Other"

Regarding North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on the 12th (local time), Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stated that "we are closely monitoring North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, which violate international norms and several United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, and we condemn them."

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

Secretary General Stoltenberg made these remarks during opening statements ahead of a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, saying, "We have witnessed North Korea launching another missile. It reminds us of the nuclear missile program that violates international law."

Earlier, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that around 10 a.m. (Korean time) that day, they detected one long-range ballistic missile launched from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea. The ballistic missile, launched at a high angle by North Korea, flew approximately 1,000 km before landing in the East Sea.

Secretary General Stoltenberg also expressed concerns not only about North Korea but also about China, stating, "We are concerned about the arms buildup and the expansion and modernization of nuclear forces." He emphasized, "What happens in Asia is important to Europe, and what happens in Europe is important to Asia," adding, "This is evidence that security is not a regional but a global issue."

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