Yoon on North Korea's ICBM Launch: "Provocation, They Will Realize Greater Pain Will Follow" (Update)

Yoon at Cabinet Meeting: "Serious Challenge to Korean Peninsula and Global Security"

President Yoon Suk-yeol criticized North Korea on the 19th for launching short-range missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for two consecutive days, stating, "The North Korean regime will realize that its provocations will only bring greater suffering upon itself."

In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, President Yoon described the launches as a "grave and serious challenge to security on the Korean Peninsula and globally."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon said, "Following the 'Phnom Penh Agreement' among the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan last November, the real-time sharing system for North Korean missile warning information among the three countries has now officially begun operating," adding, "We have confirmed the smooth operation of this information-sharing system this time."

He continued, "With the recent meeting of the Korea-US Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) held in Washington last week, the establishment of an integrated extended deterrence system between South Korea and the United States is now within reach," emphasizing, "A strong Korea-US alliance based on nuclear capabilities is being built."

President Yoon stated, "The government will firmly support the people so that they can live without any worries regarding the North Korean nuclear threat."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the previous day, "Our military detected one ICBM launched by North Korea from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea at approximately 8:24 a.m. today," adding, "The North Korean ballistic missile was launched at a high angle, flew about 1,000 km, and landed in the East Sea." The Korean Central News Agency also reported that North Korea conducted a launch drill of the solid-fuel ICBM Hwasong-18 on the same day.

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who observed the drill, indicated the possibility of an attack on the US mainland in an emergency, stating, "This was a clear demonstration of what choices we would make if Washington makes a wrong decision against us."

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