South Korea Criticizes North Korea's Missile Tests as UNSC Violations and Demands Action
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Seoul, March 14 (NationPress) The South Korean presidential office responsible for National Security has condemned the recent ballistic missile launches by North Korea on Saturday, labeling them as violations of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and urging for an immediate cessation.
This statement followed an emergency security assessment meeting convened shortly after North Korea launched approximately 10 ballistic missiles towards the East Sea.
"The recent missile tests by North Korea represent a serious provocation breaching UNSC resolutions, and we demand an urgent stop to these actions," the office stated in a press release.
The office also updated President Lee Jae Myung on the specifics of the missile launches and South Korea's strategic responses.
The meeting included officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, focusing on the implications of the missile launches for South Korea's safety and discussing necessary counteractions. They also emphasized the need for comprehensive preparedness at home, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.
The missiles were launched around 1:20 p.m. from Sunan, close to Pyongyang, traveling approximately 350 kilometers. The South Korean military, in collaboration with the United States, is currently analyzing the specifications of the missiles.
This marks the first ballistic missile test conducted by the North since its last launch on January 27. The simultaneous launch of about 10 missiles appears to be a reaction to the ongoing annual spring military exercise, named Freedom Shield, between Seoul and Washington, which began on Monday and will continue for 11 days.
In a related development, South Korean and US forces conducted joint river-crossing drills in the border area of Yeoncheon on Saturday as part of their annual key springtime exercise aimed at improving interoperability between the allies.
This field training took place on the Imjin River in Yeoncheon, located approximately 50 kilometers north of Seoul, and involved around 200 units of equipment, including KM3 amphibious bridging vehicles and ribbon bridge systems, according to military sources.