Seoul: The Office of National Security at Cheong Wa Dae convened an emergency meeting on Sunday following North Korea's launch of multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea, urging Pyongyang to cease its provocations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting was led by Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk and attended by officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The aim was to analyze and assess North Korea's latest missile launch while reviewing South Korea's military readiness. "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," stated the national security office.
The South Korean military reported detecting the missile launches from an area near Pyongyang at approximately 7:50 a.m. The missiles traveled around 900 kilometers, as noted by the JCS, with both South Korean and U.S. authorities currently analyzing the exact details of the launch. This marks North Korea's first weapons test of the year, following its last ballistic missile launch in November.
The missile launches occurred just hours before President Lee Jae Myung's scheduled departure for Beijing to hold summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event also followed an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump about the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military operation. North Korea is expected to be a significant topic during Lee's summit with Xi, as Seoul looks to secure Beijing's support for improving relations with Pyongyang and advancing denuclearization efforts on the Korean Peninsula.
In response to the missile launches, the South Korean defense ministry condemned the actions as a "clear violation" of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The ministry urged North Korea to immediately cease its provocative acts and engage in dialogue with the South Korean government to restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Political parties in Seoul were aligned in their condemnation of North Korea's actions. Moon Dae-lim, spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party, labeled the launch as an "illegal act" that threatens peace and security in the region, interpreting it as a calculated move to raise tensions ahead of the South Korea-China summit. Choi Bo-yun, spokesperson for the main opposition People Power Party, suggested that North Korea's actions might be a protest against the U.S. capture of Maduro, emphasizing that ballistic missile provocations cannot safeguard its regime.
In recent developments, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been visiting various factories, including a nuclear-powered submarine facility and a munitions plant producing tactical guided weapons, in anticipation of the ninth party congress expected in the coming weeks.