Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan condemn N. Korea's missile firings

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan condemned North Korea's recent series of missile firings, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch on Thursday, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi talked over the phone to discuss Pyongyang's provocations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Earlier in the day, North Korea fired an ICBM and two short-range missiles toward the East Sea, just a day after it launched a barrage of missiles, including one that flew across its de facto maritime border with the South for the first time since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The two diplomats denounced Pyongyang's recent ballistic missile launches, saying that they were in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the world.

They also blamed North Korea for increasing tensions on the Peninsula by continuing to commit provocations to upgrade its nuclear and missile capabilities.

Park and Hayashi agreed that North Korea's recent provocations go against humanity at a time when South Koreans are mourning the deadly Halloween crowd crush, which claimed more than 150 lives.

brk@yna.co.kr
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