BANGKOK– South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders of four other nations on Friday condemned North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), urging Pyongyang to cease provocations.

Han, Harris and the four leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, made the remarks at an emergency meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, hours after North Korea fired an ICBM that landed near Japanese waters.

The meeting included prime ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia, Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and Justin Trudeau of Canada.

“This is a great provocation. The latest launch together with other launches constitute a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the Asian region, and the whole world,” Han said.

“We strongly condemn this raging act. I’d like to emphasize that such illegal activity by the DPRK will never be tolerated and the international community must unite, respond in a resolute manner,” Han said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Harris condemned North Korea for a range of violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions

The leaders called on North Korea “to stop further unlawful destabilizing acts,” Harris said, adding that the North’s ICBM launch “destabilizes security in the region and unnecessarily raises tensions.”

Kishida also condemned North Korea’s ICBM launch “in the strongest possible terms,” saying that Pyongyang has launched more than 50 ballistic missiles so far this year.

There have been lingering concerns that North Korea could conduct its seventh nuclear test.

Source: Yonhap News Agency