MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2022) Senior Japanese, South Korean and US diplomats have condemned North Korea's recent missile launches, describing them as "escalatory and dangerous," and reaffirmed their defense commitments, the US Department of State said on Monday.
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyundong and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo held the phone talks on Sunday to discuss the issue.
"Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Republic of Korea (ROK) First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyundong and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on November 6 to discuss the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) recent escalatory and dangerous actions ... Sherman and Vice Ministers Cho and Mori jointly condemned the DPRK's numerous ballistic missile launches, including a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and the reckless launch of a missile that landed near the ROK coastline," the statement read.
Sherman reaffirmed US commitments to the South Korean and Japanese defense departments and said it was important for the international community to stand together in holding North Korea accountable for its "continued and brazen violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions," the statement also said.
Pyongyang has conducted over 30 missile launches since the beginning of the year. North Korea insists that its test launches are being carried out in response to what it called provocations by South Korea and Japan, as well the United States. Japan and South Korea regularly conduct joint drills with the US and are considered its closest allies in the region.
