BANGKOK - Leaders of the United States, South Korea, Japan and allied countries convened an emergency meeting during an Asian summit on Friday and condemned North Korea’s firing of a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, calling for a united response.
The missile, which landed just 200km off Japan, was capable of reaching the mainland United States, Japanese officials said.
Meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Bangkok, US Vice-President Kamala Harris called the launch a “brazen violation” of multiple United Nations resolutions and said North Korea’s actions were destablising for security in the region.
“We strongly condemn these actions and we again call for North Korea to stop further unlawful, destabilising acts,” Ms Harris told reporters at the start of the talks.
“On behalf of the United States, I reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our Indo-Pacific alliances,” she said, using another term for the Asia-Pacific region.
The launch follows weeks of spiralling tensions with North Korea, which US intelligence believes is preparing a seventh nuclear test.
A White House statement on the Bangkok talks said that the six leaders also warned of a “strong and resolute response” if North Korea – officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – carries out the nuclear test.
The leaders agreed “that the path to dialogue remains open for the DPRK, and they called on the DPRK to abandon needless provocation and to return to serious and sustained diplomacy”, the statement said.
In a veiled reference to China, the primary backer of the isolated and impoverished country, the statement also called on all members of the United Nations to “fully implement” Security Council resolutions, which imposed broad sanctions on North Korea.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the North’s activities were illegal and “will never be tolerated.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said such launches were occurring with “unprecedented high frequency” lately.
“There is the possibly that North Korea will launch further missiles,” he warned.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said North Korea’s move needed to be condemned “by all regions around the world”, while Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese said the missile launches were “reckless actions”.
“We stand with the world, and indeed with our allies, in opposing and condemning this action in the strongest possible terms,” Mr Albanese said.
“And we stand ready to be part of a global response to this.”
New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern said she acknowledged the “anxiety, the deep concern, the security threat” felt in Japan and South Korea. REUTERS
