SEOUL– The presidential National Security Council condemned North Korea’s provocative acts on Friday following the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
The launch took place around noon as South Korea was set to wrap up its Hoguk military exercise, according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
President Yoon Suk-yeol was briefed on the launch by the presidential National Security Office, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said.
“The NSC standing committee members noted that North Korea once again launched ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions following its recent repeated ballistic missile launches and violation of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement through its violation of the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea and artillery fire provocation,” Lee said at a press briefing, summarizing the outcome of a NSC meeting convened after the launch.
“They condemned the provocative acts of North Korea that continue to create tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” he added.
The NSC confirmed that the military is maintaining a thorough readiness posture for an immediate response to any provocation by the North and vowed to reinforce the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture through next week’s Vigilant Storm air drills to ensure no disruption to the government’s efforts to revive the economy and people’s livelihoods.
“Moreover, they agreed to closely follow the possibility of a strategic provocation by North Korea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launch or nuclear test,” Lee said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency