[서울=뉴스핌] Reporter Lee Young-tae = North Korea’s chief nuclear representatives from South Korea and the United States held a wired consultation and discussed countermeasures once morest North Korea’s test-fire of a ballistic missile presumed to be a semi-medium-range missile (MRBM) on the 5th.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “On the 5th, Noh Kyu-deok, head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters, held a wired consultation with US special representative for North Korea Sung Kim and South Korea-US chief representative for North Korea’s nuclear program.”
| [서울=뉴스핌] Photo Joint Foundation = Noh Gyu-deok, head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Relations Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Seong Kim, the special representative for North Korea at the US State Department, held a meeting with the chief representative of the ROK and the US on North Korea’s nuclear program at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 24th. CEO Kim (right) speaks at the door stepping held right following the consultation. 2021.10.24 photo@newspim.com |
“The two sides condemned North Korea’s repeated launch of ballistic missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions despite the demands of the international community,” it said.
“Director Roh and Representative Kim decided to further strengthen close cooperation between the two countries to ensure that North Korea does not further aggravate the situation while maintaining a tight joint defense posture between the ROK and the United States.”
This is the first phone call between the US and South Korea’s chief nuclear representatives in six days, following North Korea launched a ballistic missile presumed to be a semi-medium-range missile (MRBM) on the 27th of last month.
Meanwhile, North Korea claimed that the ballistic missile test the day before on the 6th was a test for the development of a reconnaissance satellite.
North Korea’s state-run KCNA reported on the same day, “The National Space Agency and the National Defense Science Institute conducted another important test on March 5 according to the reconnaissance satellite development plan.” The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North Korean Workers’ Party, only reported the same by citing the Korean Central News Agency.
“Through the tests, the National Space Development Administration confirmed the reliability of the satellite data transmission/reception and control command system and various terrestrial satellite control systems,” the KCNA explained.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not disclose the missile’s altitude or specific details except for a brief explanation in an article titled ‘The National Space Development Agency and the Academy of National Defense Science conducted important tests for the development of reconnaissance satellites’.
As in the test-fire of a semi-medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) on the 27th of last month, there was no mention of a missile. North Korea also launched an MRBM on the 27th of last month under the pretext of ‘for the development of a reconnaissance satellite’.
Earlier, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that it had detected a ballistic missile launched into the East Sea from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, North Korea around 8:48 a.m. the previous day. The ballistic missile’s flight range was regarding 270 km and the altitude was regarding 560 km.
The military authorities explained that the range and altitude were analyzed to be similar to the MRBM-estimated ballistic missile launched on the 27th of last month.
medialyt@newspim.com