The National Security Office announced that on October 31st (Thursday) at around 7:10 am, our military detected North Korea’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile (ICBM) and immediately reported the matter to President Yoon Suk-yeol. In response, a National Security Council (NSC) emergency meeting chaired by National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik was convened.
President Yoon has instructed thorough preparations to prevent North Korea from attempting any surprise provocations while responding firmly to North Korean provocations alongside the international community.
The NSC standing committee members pointed out that North Korea has violated UN Security Council resolutions once again by launching an ICBM after recently deploying combat troops to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. They strongly condemned North Korea’s provocative actions, which pose a serious threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the international community.
The NSC members emphasized their commitment to respond immediately and decisively to any provocation from North Korea based on the strong ROK-U.S. combined defense posture and agreed to strengthen security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
Additionally, they decided to impose new independent sanctions against North Korea in response to this provocation and to collaborate closely with allies and the UN to ensure that international sanctions against North Korea’s habitual violations of Security Council resolutions are implemented more robustly and effectively.
Meanwhile, the NSC members expressed regret that the North Korean regime is squandering limited resources on developing weapons of mass destruction while neglecting the livelihood of North Korean citizens, and is now even sending young North Koreans to join an unjust war. The government plans to use every opportunity, including the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, to accurately inform the international community about North Korea’s dire human rights situation and will strengthen efforts to improve the freedom and human rights of North Korean people, as outlined in the “August 15 Unification Doctrine.”
Those who attended today’s emergency NSC meeting included National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik, Unification Minister Kim Young-ho, National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, Vice Defense Minister Kim Sun-ho, NSC Secretariat Director Kim Tae-hyo, Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office In Seong-hwan, and Third Deputy Director of the National Security Office Wang Yun-jong.
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