The Korea Herald

피터빈트

N. Korea's missile test to be on agenda for Yun, Kerry talks

By KH디지털2

Published : May 12, 2015 - 17:10

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South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss North Korea's recent test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in their talks here next week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Kerry is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for a two-day visit ahead of South Korean President Park Geun-hye's trip to the U.S. in mid-June.

On Monday, Yun and Kerry will hold talks on a wide range of issues, including preparations for Park's visit and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, according to ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il.

"We expect there to be in-depth discussions on North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, including its test-firing of an SLBM," Noh said during a press briefing.

North Korea claimed Saturday that it successfully conducted an SLBM test overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, further raising tensions in the region.

South Korea is in consultations with the U.S. and other nations to determine an appropriate response to the provocation, which violates U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the communist state from conducting launches using ballistic missile technology, Noh said.

The response could include measures at the U.N. level, he added, although South Korean officials said it's still too early to talk about specific action through the U.N. council. They said they need more time to review technical aspects of the secretive nation's self-proclaimed success in the SLBM launch.

In Seoul, Kerry is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Park early Monday. It would be his first trip here in 15 months.

His upcoming Asia swing will also take him to Beijing. (Yonhap)