Deputy Foreign Ministers of Korea, the US, and Japan Confirm North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch Violates UN Security Council
Agree to Hold Trilateral Deputy Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The international community has taken joint action in response to North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches.
As North Korea's ballistic missile provocations, which violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, continued, the United States requested a Security Council meeting on the 5th to address the issue.
Centered on South Korea, the United States, and Japan, the pressure on North Korea for violating UN Security Council resolutions is being intensified.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th, following the foreign and security chiefs of South Korea, the United States, and Japan, the deputy foreign ministers of the three countries also held a phone call on the 4th (local time) to condemn North Korea's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
On the same day, Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, spoke with Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, and Takeo Mori, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, condemning the "reckless and destabilizing launch of North Korea's long-range missile that is dangerous and heightens tensions," according to a U.S. State Department press release.
The three deputy ministers noted in the call that the launch came after seven ballistic missile launches over the past week and confirmed that it violated multiple UN Security Council resolutions, the State Department reported.
They reaffirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation in holding North Korea accountable for its ballistic missile launches.
Deputy Secretary Sherman emphasized, "The United States will take all necessary measures to guarantee the security of its allies." The three countries agreed to hold a trilateral deputy foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo within weeks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated in a press release that the three deputy ministers agreed to continue consultations on responding to the North Korean nuclear issue at the South Korea-U.S.-Japan deputy foreign ministers' meeting to be held in Tokyo later this month.
Following the trilateral deputy ministers' call, Vice Minister Cho also held a separate bilateral call with Deputy Secretary Sherman.
The two deputy ministers agreed to maintain a robust combined defense posture and continue enhancing the extended deterrence capabilities between South Korea and the United States, and to respond strongly to any further provocations by North Korea.
They also evaluated the unprecedentedly close cooperation at the highest levels between South Korea and the United States recently and agreed to communicate more closely to further strengthen this momentum ahead of the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance next year.
Additionally, United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres strongly condemned North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch on the 4th (local time).
Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement through spokesperson St?phane Dujarric, calling the launch "a reckless act and a violation of Security Council resolutions."
Regarding the missile passing over Japanese airspace and triggering tensions, Secretary-General Guterres criticized, "It is very concerning that North Korea once again disregarded international aviation and maritime safety."
Earlier, on the 4th, Foreign Minister Park Jin held separate phone calls with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss responses to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile launch.
Ministers Park and Blinken pointed out that North Korea's missile launch clearly violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and is a serious provocation threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the international community, strongly condemning it.
The two ministers emphasized that North Korea's ongoing provocations cannot be tolerated and agreed to strengthen close communication and cooperation bilaterally between South Korea and the United States and trilaterally with Japan regarding future responses, including Security Council-level actions.
Minister Park also strongly condemned the launch as a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions during his call with Foreign Minister Hayashi.
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