On the afternoon of the 18th, the security chiefs of Korea, the United States, and Japan discussed a joint response plan to North Korea’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile (ICBM) that morning, through a series of consultations between Korea, the United States, and Japan.
The President’s Office announced that National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong had these discussions during a series of telephone meetings with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Japanese National Security Agency Director Takeo Akiba this afternoon. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea carried out provocations for the second day in a row by launching an ICBM into the East Sea this morning, following the launch of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) the previous day.
According to the President’s Office, the heads of the three countries’ security offices said on this day, “North Korea’s ICBM launch is a clear violation of the United Nations Security Council resolution,” and “It is a serious threat to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia, and the international community.” He strongly condemned it as a “threat.”
The security chiefs of the three countries said, “▲Cooperation in the UN Security Council, where South Korea, the United States, and Japan are all members, ▲Cooperation in independent and multilateral sanctions against North Korea, ▲Joint response in the military field, ▲Response to North Korea’s malicious cyber activities, ▲Prevention of North Korean provocations by blocking North Korea’s illegal foreign currency earning, etc. He emphasized, “We will actively promote cooperation between the three countries,” and “We will utilize the ‘North Korean missile warning information real-time sharing system’ to evaluate and further strengthen security cooperation between Korea, the United States, and Japan.”
Meanwhile, the security chiefs of the three countries evaluated the consultations held on this day, saying, “They were carried out quickly in accordance with the ‘Commitment to Consult’ agreed upon at the Camp David summit last August.”
Lee Ye-ji,
Source: Donga
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