The Foreign Ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan have issued a joint statement strongly condemning North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch and the growing military alliance between Russia and North Korea.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently visiting the United States, held a teleconference on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. In their joint statement, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan strongly condemned the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including ongoing illegal arms transfers and the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.
The three ministers stated, “The DPRK’s launch is in flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We strongly urge the DPRK to immediately cease its series of provocative and destabilizing actions that threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.”
The ministers noted, “We note the launch took place following the DPRK’s announcement that its Constitution newly defined the ROK as a hostile state. The U.S. and Japan reiterated their support for a peacefully unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace. We again urge the DPRK to return to dialogue immediately. Only through dialogue can we achieve a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
Furthermore, the three ministers agreed to strengthen joint efforts with the international community to block all illegal funding sources that North Korea uses to finance its illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
The ministers stated, “We deplore the DPRK’s decision to divert its scarce resources away from its people to these unlawful weapons programs. The DPRK uses the additional revenue gained through illicit revenue generation to advance its ballistic missile program and continues to transfer ballistic missiles and other arms to Russia in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.”
In conclusion, the ministers emphasized, “The United States reiterates that its commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan are ironclad and backed by the full range of capabilities, including nuclear. In addition, the three countries will continue to strengthen our trilateral security cooperation to deter and respond to the DPRK’s advancing nuclear and ballistic missile threats more effectively.”
The day before, North Korea launched an ICBM into the East Sea. The missile flew for approximately 86 minutes, recording the longest flight duration. The missile’s stable trajectory of around 15,000 kilometers demonstrated continued advancements in North Korea’s capability to develop missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.