S. Korean, U.S., Japanese nuclear envoys condemn N.K.'s missile launch

SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- The top South Korean, U.S. and Japanese nuclear envoys condemned North Korea's firing of a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea Wednesday during their phone talks, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, had phone calls with his American counterpart, Sung Kim, and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, to discuss responses to the North's latest missile launch.

The envoys agreed North Korea's provocations violate United Nations Security Council Resolutions and cannot be justified. They promised to strengthen cooperation to respond to possible additional threats.

The North's latest provocation came as ballots are being counted in the U.S. mid-term elections and the South's military has been staging computer-simulated Taegeuk drills since Monday.

Pyongyang launched 35 missiles into the East and Yellow Seas between last Wednesday and Saturday in protest against a massive combined air exercise of the U.S. and South Korea, called Vigilant Storm.