Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken held a trilateral call on August 23 with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to discuss the DPRK’s August 24 (KST) attempted space launch, which used ballistic missile technology. The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers strongly condemned the launch as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and for its destabilizing effect on the region.
The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers affirmed that they will continue close trilateral consultation, in the spirit of the Camp David Summit, in response to the DPRK’s brazen and reckless actions. They stressed the need for the international community to come together to prevent the DPRK’s procurement activities and stem the flow of revenue supporting its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. The Secretary also reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan.
