South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Thursday (June 23) called for help from a nuclear suppliers group to solve North Korea’s nuclear issue.
The delegation of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) gathered in Seoul to attend the annual plenary meeting.
The NSG aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons by restricting the sale of items that can be used to make those arms. It was set up in response to India’s first nuclear test in 1974.
“Earlier this year Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test, and since then launched a series of ballistic missiles, including two intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) yesterday,” said Yun during his special remarks at the plenary meeting.
South Korean and U.S. military officials have said the North launched what appeared to be two intermediate-range missiles dubbed Musudan on Wednesday (June 22). The first of the two was considered a failure.
“The NSG needs to send a clear, loud and powerful message against North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, the number one threat to the international non-proliferation regime at this critical juncture. As long as North Korea continues to defy the non-proliferation regime, we, the whole world, should remind North Korea that its misbehavior will have unbearable costs,” Yun added.
Tension in the region has been high since North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and followed that with a satellite launch and test launches of various missiles, including one in May.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016