South Korean outgoing President Moon Jae-in, who has been an advocate of peaceful engagement with North Korea, condemned the test launch as “a breach of the moratorium on ICBM launches that Chairman Kim Jong-un himself promised to the international community.”
Leader of Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, called the North’s actions an “unacceptable act of violence.” Kishida is currently in Brussels meeting with the members of the G7 discussing additional actions on Ukraine.
.@POTUS met with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan at the G7. They discussed North Korea's launch of a long-range ballistic missile, which both leaders strongly condemned, stressed the need for diplomacy, and agreed to continue working together to hold the DPRK accountable. pic.twitter.com/lhgsGree6P
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 24, 2022
“This is another breach of the DPRK’s (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) announced moratorium in 2018 on launches of this nature, and a clear violation of Security Council resolutions,” Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres said through his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
In the same statement, he reiterated that he wanted to coordinate with all parties to seek a diplomatic resolution to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula completely.
“This launch is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region,” wrote White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in a statement.
The White House condemned the launch and noted that there would likely be more tests in the future. According to the press release, the Biden Administration’s National Security team is assessing the situation in cooperation with US allies.
“The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies,” Psaki added.
A New Face Down South
North Korea is not the only one posturing in the region. Down south, South Korea is expected to take a tougher stand against the North after years of trying to make amends peacefully.
The change in foreign policy comes as outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in is due to leave office in May. In his place will be incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party. A conservative, Yoon’s presidential campaign was built on a promised hardline approach against their northern neighbor. This included bolstering defense capabilities domestically and internationally through the South’s network of key allies, including the United States.
https://twitter.com/_Newsguru/status/1501626741105868803
The President-elect has released a strict warning to the North after hearing the news of the launch.
“I sternly warn North Korea that there is nothing that can be gained from provocations,” Yoon wrote. “The Republic of Korea will safeguard freedom and peace by building a stronger security posture.”
“We must respond strongly to North Korea’s provocations by cooperating with the international community upon the foundation of close coordination between South Korea and the United States.”
Yoon also called for the current Moon administration to defend the South Korean people by drawing concrete strategies against the Northern threat.
Last Thursday, the South Korean military said that it did its own live tests of ballistic and tactical missiles after the ICBM launch from the North. The tests confirmed the South’s ability to hit precision targets in North Korea should the need arise.
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