 |
| ▲ National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac speaks during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 2, 2026. (Yonhap) |
(2nd LD) Cheong Wa Dae-NK missile
(2nd LD) Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to cease provocations following missile launch
(ATTN: ADDS reaction from political parties, defense ministry in paras 9-15)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- The Office of National Security at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency meeting Sunday after North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea and urged Pyongyang to cease provocations.
The meeting was convened by Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk and attended by officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to analyze and assess the North's latest missile launch and review South Korea's military readiness, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
"North Korea's launch of ballistic missiles constitutes a provocative act in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and we urge the North to cease such actions," the national security office said in a release.
The South Korean military said it detected the launches from an area near Pyongyang at around 7:50 a.m.
The North Korean missiles flew some 900 kilometers, the JCS said, noting the South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the exact details of the launch.
It was the North's first weapons test this year, following its last ballistic missile launch in November.
The launches came just hours before President Lee Jae Myung was set to depart for Beijing for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They also followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military operation.
North Korea is expected to feature prominently in Lee's summit with Xi on Monday as Seoul seeks to secure Beijing's support to improve strained ties with Pyongyang and make progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The defense ministry condemned the North's launches of ballistic missiles as a "clear violation" of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
"North Korea should immediately halt provocative acts, which have continued since last year, and actively join the South Korean government's efforts to restore dialogue and relations for peace on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said in a released statement.
Rival parties in Seoul were united in their criticism of the latest missile launch.
"This provocation is clearly an illegal act that threatens peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, a direct violation of the international community's sanctions resolution against North Korea," said Moon Dae-lim, spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party.
"Having taken place ahead of the South Korea-China summit, this is a calculated attempt to raise tension in the region and disrupt diplomatic solutions. North Korea's action, which runs counter to the international community's effort to pursue solutions through dialogue, can never be tolerated," he added.
Choi Bo-yun, a spokesperson for the main opposition People Power Party, also said North Korea was trying to impede progress in South Korea-China relations with its latest provocation.
Choi added North Korea might have fired its missiles in protest of the U.S. capture of Maduro.
"Through the situation in Venezuela, North Korea must remember that ballistic missile provocations can never be an insurance for its regime," Choi said. "North Korea must return to dialogue for denuclearization and peace."
In recent weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has toured several factories, including a nuclear-powered submarine facility and a munitions plant producing tactical guided weapons, ahead of the ninth party congress expected in the coming weeks.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
