S. Korean, U.S. nuclear envoys hold phone call over N. Korea's projectile

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States had phone talks Wednesday over North Korea's latest launch of what is presumed to be a ballistic missile and the allies' response, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his American counterpart, Sung Kim, discussed the issue hours after the North fired a projectile into the East Sea.

"The two sides shared their assessment of what appeared to be a ballistic missile and discussed related measures," the ministry said in a press release without elaborating. "They agreed to continue efforts to resume talks with North Korea on the basis of the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance."

The North shot the missile eastward at around 8:10 a.m. from a site in its northern province of Jagang near China, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It marked Pyongyang's first projectile launch since it test-launched a new submarine-launched ballistic missile in October.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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