Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., Japan condemn N. Korea's space rocket launch in trilateral call

▲ Foreign Minister Park Jin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco on Nov. 14, 2023. (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-Japan talks

Top diplomats of S. Korea, U.S., Japan condemn N. Korea's space rocket launch in trilateral call

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan "strongly" condemned North Korea's recent space rocket launch for its "destabilizing" effect in a trilateral call on Friday, the State Department said.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa held the conversation over Tuesday's launch, which the North claimed put a reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

The three countries see the North's launch as a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions banning any test using ballistic missile technology.

"The secretary and the foreign ministers strongly condemned the launch for its destabilizing effect on the region," Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, said in a readout.

"The secretary and the foreign ministers affirmed they will continue close trilateral consultation, in the spirit of the Camp David summit, in response to the DPRK's irresponsible and unlawful actions," he added, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the Camp David summit in August, where they reached a set of landmark agreements, including the "commitment to consult" each other in case of a common threat.

In the trilateral call, Park, Blinken and Kamikawa stressed the need for the international community, including all members of the U.N. Security Council, to come together to prevent the North's procurement activities and stem the flow of revenue supporting its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, according to Miller.

Blinken also reaffirmed America's "ironclad" defense commitments to South Korea and Japan, Miller said.

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