The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States have agreed that their countries will jointly and sternly deal with additional provocations out of North Korea, including a possible nuclear test.
Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk briefed reporters on Monday on the outcome of his talks with his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim in Seoul earlier in the day.
Stressing the frequency of their meeting, the second of its kind in two weeks, Noh said the situation on the Korean Peninsula was judged to be entering a crucial phase, adding he and Kim shared concerns that it is likely the North’s tension-hiking behaviors will continue.
The South Korean official said the two sides agreed to strongly respond at the UN Security Council level based on a firm joint defense posture should the North continue to violate UNSC resolutions, be it via a nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
U.S. envoy Kim said he and Noh agreed on the need to maintain the strongest joint deterrence on the Korean Peninsula, mentioning the South Korea-U.S. springtime military exercise, which kicked off earlier in the day.
Source: KBS World Radio