Nuclear envoys of US, South Korea & Japan to meet, North Korean threat likely on agenda

Nearly two days after North Korea fired at least three Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), the chief nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan are expected to meet on June 3. According to Yonhap News Agency, the envoys will meet in South Korea's national capital, Seoul. Meanwhile, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said from Seoul's side, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, Kim Gunn, will hold several meetings with his American and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively.

The ministry said that the officials will share their assessments of North Korea's recent missile tests. It is also expected that the officials will share a joint strategy to deal with the continuous provocations exhibited by Pyongyang. It is pertinent to mention here that the North has also tested a series of new missiles, including a purported hypersonic weapon and its first launch since 2017 of an intermediate-range missile capable of reaching Guam, a key US military hub in the Pacific. On Wednesday, May 25,  hours after US President Joe Biden ended a trip to Asia, North Korea test-launched a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile and two shorter-range weapons toward its eastern waters.

Japanese PM directs officials to prepare for worst situation

According to South Korea’s military, the first missile was likely an ICBM that reached a maximum height of 540 kilometres while travelling 360 kilometres. "North Korea’s sustained provocations can only result in stronger and faster South Korea-US combined deterrence and can only deepen North Korea’s international isolation," the South Korean government said in a statement after an emergency security meeting on Wednesday. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also held separate calls with his counterparts from South Korea where all denounced Kim Jong-un's provocative moves.

Earlier on January 11, when North Korea's supreme leader fired the second blastic missile, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida directed the concerned officials to strengthen monitoring of North Korea's military activities. He also directed the ministers and administrators to make the utmost steps to gather details on the blastoff while ensuring the safety of planes and vessels in and around Japan. Kishida also ordered to prepare their resources to avert an emergency-like situation, reported Kyodo News.

Image: AP