Yoon, Strong Response to North Korea's ICBM Launch... Emergency NSC Standing Committee Meeting Held

National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik Presides Over NSC
"New Independent Sanctions Designated Against North Korea"

National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik (second from right) is presiding over an emergency Standing Committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) regarding North Korea's long-range ballistic missile (ICBM) launch at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 31st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 31st instructed, regarding North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), "Prepare thoroughly to ensure that North Korea cannot carry out any surprise provocations while strongly responding to North Korean provocations together with the international community."

The National Security Office immediately reported the details of North Korea's ICBM launch to President Yoon that morning and held an emergency Standing Committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by Shin Won-sik, Director of the National Security Office.

The NSC Standing Committee members pointed out that North Korea violated UN Security Council resolutions again by launching the ICBM on this day, following its recent deployment of combat troops to Russia's illegal invasion war in Ukraine, and strongly condemned North Korea's provocative actions that seriously threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community.

The NSC Standing Committee clearly stated that they will respond immediately and firmly to any provocations by North Korea based on the solid ROK-US combined defense posture and decided to further strengthen ROK-US-Japan security cooperation.

In response to this North Korean provocation, they also decided to designate new independent sanctions against North Korea and to closely cooperate with allied countries and the UN to ensure that international sanctions against North Korea's habitual violations of Security Council resolutions are implemented more strongly and effectively.

The NSC Standing Committee members lamented that the North Korean regime neglects the livelihood of its people, squandering limited resources on the development of weapons of mass destruction and pushing young North Korean youths into unjustified battlefields. The government plans to accurately inform the international community of the horrific human rights situation in North Korea at every possible opportunity, including the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session of the UN Human Rights Council to be held soon in Geneva, and to strengthen efforts to improve the freedom and human rights of North Korean residents as presented in the '8.15 Unification Doctrine.'

Attending the emergency NSC Standing Committee meeting that day were Shin Won-sik, Director of the National Security Office; Kim Young-ho, Minister of Unification; Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Intelligence Service; Kim Hong-gyun, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Kim Sun-ho, Vice Minister of National Defense; Kim Tae-hyo, Secretary General of the NSC; In Sung-hwan, Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office; and Wang Yoon-jong, Third Deputy Director of the National Security Office.