SINGAPORE, June 1 (NNN-Yonhap) — South Korea’s defense minister insisted Friday that the official stance of Seoul and Washington remains the same on the North Korean missiles fired earlier this month, despite the U.S. defense chief’s characterization of the launches as a violation of U.N. sanctions.
The remark by Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo indicates that South Korea still has not conclusively determined whether or not the short-range missiles, fired on May 9, were ballistic missiles banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions as analysis is still under way.
Jeong spoke after arriving in Singapore for a regional security conference, the Shangri-La Dialogue.
“There is no change whatsoever in the official position of the defense authorities of South Korea and the U.S.,” Jeong told reporters when he was asked for comment on acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan’s remark that the North’s missile launches violated U.N. sanctions.
Shanahan made the remark during a press gaggle on Thursday en route to Indonesia. He said, “These were short-range missiles and those are a violation of the UNSCR. Yes.” UNSCR stands for U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Under the resolutions, the North is banned from test-firing ballistic missiles.
On May 4 and 9, the North launched a fusillade of projectiles, including short-range missiles. Though experts labeled them as North Korea’s version of Russia’s Iskander ballistic missiles, South Korea has said it is analyzing to determine the exact type in close coordination with the U.S.
Jeong and Shanahan will hold a trilateral meeting on Sunday on the sidelines of the forum which will involve Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya. The bilateral talks between the defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. will take place on Monday in Seoul, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.
South Korea’s Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo Photo courtesy Yonhap
