Nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan strongly denounce N. Korea's ICBM test

▲ South Korean chief nuclear negotiator Kim Gunn (C) poses for a photo with his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim (R), and Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, prior to talks on North Korea's denuclearization at the foreign ministry in Seoul on April 7, 2023. (Yonhap)

nuke envoys-NK missile

Nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan strongly denounce N. Korea's ICBM test

SEOUL, July 12 (Yonhap) -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan "strongly" condemned North Korea's latest launch of a long-range missile during their phone talks on Wednesday, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Earlier in the day, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea, according to the South's military, in its latest provocation after the recalcitrant regime warned of military action over U.S. spy aircraft operations earlier this week.

In their phone consultations, Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, denounced the missile launch as a "grave violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions that "cannot be justified in any way."

The three sides agreed to respond sternly to the North's provocations based on a robust combined defense posture between Washington and Seoul, and security cooperation among the South, U.S. and Japan, the ministry said in a press release.

The envoys also agreed to continue close cooperation to carry out a unified international response against Pyongyang's illicit nuclear and missile development.

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