[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] In response to North Korea's indication of 'considering resuming nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches,' Noh Kyu-duk, the South Korean government's chief nuclear envoy, held a series of phone consultations with the United States and China to discuss measures for managing the situation.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 20th, Director Noh held separate phone consultations in the afternoon with Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, and Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese government's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs. Additionally, the Ministry stated that Director Noh shared assessments of the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula during his talks with Representative Kim.
Both South Korea and the United States agreed on the common understanding that progress on the Korean Peninsula issue is possible only through dialogue and diplomacy, and they decided to continue close cooperation to stably manage the situation on the Peninsula.
On the same day in the afternoon, Director Noh also shared evaluations of the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's successive missile launches and the announcement from the Workers' Party Political Bureau meeting, during consultations with Representative Liu. Both sides agreed to work together to prevent further deterioration and to stably manage the situation on the Peninsula.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs particularly noted that Director Noh emphasized the urgency of resolving North Korea's nuclear and missile issues and the importance of promptly resuming dialogue for a fundamental solution, urging constructive cooperation from the Chinese side to this end.
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