US, South Korean, Japanese Envoys Discuss Pyongyang's Missile Launch Over Phone - Seoul

Umer Jamshaid Published March 19, 2023 | 04:20 PM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2023) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Gunn held a phone conversation with his US and Japanese counterparts to discuss North Korea's short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launch on Sunday, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier in the day, the Yonhap news agency said, citing the South Korean military, that Pyongyang test-fired a ballistic missile from the Tongchang-ri area on North Korea's west coast. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the projectile flew some 800 kilometers (497 miles) and fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean official spoke over the phone with US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Funakoshi Takehiro, the ministry said.

"The three special representatives strongly condemned today's launch as a clear violation of multiple (UN) Security Council resolutions and a provocation that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," the ministry said.

The parties agreed to continue bolstering ties and cooperation in order to "lead a decisive and united response to North Korea's provocations by the international community." They also agreed to maintain a firm defense posture and further strengthen trilateral security cooperation to "effectively respond to North Korea's threats."

Seoul and Washington are now holding an 11-day Freedom Shield joint exercise, a computer-simulated training with "realistic" scenarios of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as separate large-scale field maneuvers called Warrior Shield, which include around 20 different exercises, including the Ssangyong amphibious exercise held for the first time since 2018. Pyongyang sees the joint drills off its coast as a preparation for invasion and has repeatedly cautioned the allies against stirring tensions.