The U.S., South Korea, and Japan held discussions on coordinated measures, highlighting that North Korea’s ballistic missile launch violates United Nations (UN) Security Council sanctions.
On Wednesday, officials from the three nations conducted a phone consultation regarding North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch. Participants included Baek Yong-jin, South Korea’s Director-General for Korean Peninsula Policy; Dan Shintron, U.S. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; and Otsuka Kengo, Counselor at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry noted that since the National Security Council and Joint Chiefs of Staff had already articulated the government’s stance, the Ministry did not issue a separate statement. They added that the U.S. also opted to release a statement through the Indo-Pacific Command rather than the State Department.
The spokesperson further clarified that South Korea does not issue statements for every North Korean missile launch. However, they emphasized that their position remains firm: North Korea’s ballistic missile launches violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and they will continue to respond decisively in cooperation with the international community.
North Korea’s latest provocation involved launching several short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea, coinciding with the Asia tour of Elbridge Colby, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy.
This marks North Korea’s second missile test of the year and comes 23 days after their January 4 launch.
In response, South Korea’s National Security Council condemned the launch as a provocative act violating UN Security Council resolutions and called for an immediate cessation of such activities.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command acknowledged awareness of the launch, stating they are in close consultation with allies and partners. They reaffirmed America’s unwavering commitment to defending both the U.S. homeland and regional allies.