YOON DENOUNCES N. KOREA'S MISSILE LAUNCH

[Anchor Lead]

President Yoon Suk-yeol has strongly denounced North Korea’s ballistic missile launches, calling it a grave provocation. He made the remarks after convening an emergency National Security Council meeting shortly after the launches.

[Pkg]

President Yoon convened the NSC meeting at 7:30 a.m. He was briefed about North Korea’s missile launches and South Korea’s readiness and discussed countermeasures. The NSC denounced the launches as a grave provocation that violates UN Security Council resolutions, heightens tension on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and threatens international peace. The NSC also noted that the provocation took place before U.S. President Joe Biden landed in the U.S. after his summits with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts. President Yoon instructed the NSC to closely cooperate with the U.S. and international community to carry out UNSC resolutions and international sanctions against the North. The presidential office said Yoon asked for constant and watertight readiness and implementation of practical measures, such as strengthened joint defense posture, and the implementation of deterrence against proliferation agreed between presidents Yoon and Biden. He told officials to take all necessary measures to keep people’s livelihoods and the South Korean economy undisturbed. In a statement, Seoul said Pyongyang’s continued provocation could only result in stronger deterrence from South Korea and the United States and the regime’s isolation on the global stage. It added that actual measures will be taken to safeguard the nation’s security and people’s safety based on a solid ROK-U.S. alliance. This is the first NSC meeting presided over by Yoon since his inauguration on May 10th.