S. Korea 'strongly' condemns N.K.'s latest missile provocation: Yonhap

By Yonhap News Posted : August 29, 2017, 10:28 Updated : August 29, 2017, 10:28

[Yonhap Photo]



South Korea "strongly" condemned North Korea's latest missile provocation, calling on Pyongyang to stop such behavior and come out to negotiation "as soon as possible" to defuse tensions in the region.

The North fired a ballistic missile from the vicinity of Sunan in Pyongyang at around 5:57 a.m. that flew through the sky over Japan before falling into the North Pacific Ocean, according to the South Korean military.

"We strongly condemn the North's yet another provocation despite a grave message sent through Resolution 2371 adopted by the international community in the wake of its repeated strategic provocations," the government said in a statement.

"The North should come out to the road toward talks as soon as possible in recognition of the fact that denuclearization is the only way to security and economic development instead of seeking reckless provocations," it added.

The government said that it will firmly respond if the North continues its provocations based on strong alliance with the U.S.

In a way to strengthen global cooperation, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that she will hold a phone discussion soon with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson over North Korea's latest ballistic missile provocation.

"Preparations are under way to hold a phone conversation with Tillerson," Kang told Yonhap News Agency on the way to her office from a National Security Council meeting where the North's latest provocation was discussed.

"(I) am also considering having phone talks with Japanese Foreign Minister (Taro) Kono."

Asked what countermeasures can be taken against the North, she said that it requires close consultation with the U.S.

The latest missile launch came on the heels of the North's firing of three projectiles on Saturday widely believed to be short-range ballistic missiles. This marked an end to around a month-long hiatus of provocations.

On Monday, Kang told reporters during a press briefing that an "environment" for talks with the North could be created only when the North stops further provocations, apparently reaffirming the Seoul government's willingness to seek negotiations to defuse the escalating tensions in the region.

Yonhap News
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