South Korea urges North Korea to return to six-party talks
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| A rocket launch of North Korea (Photo: Reuters) |
(VOVworld) – South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Tuesday urged North Korea to return to negotiations as soon as possible, calling for an expert-level meeting. The KBS Radio said that the statement came after Pyongyang launched 6 short-range missiles a few days ago. The South Korean government issued a communiqué urging Pyongyang to end its provocation, which is escalating tensions on the Peninsula. According to the Yonhap News Agency, South Korean experts say it does not exclude the possibility that the North’s recent launches were aimed at testing its multiple launch rocket system. The South’s media said the system’s capacity could reach 120 km, meaning it could target the central part of South Korea.
Meanwhile, according to the Voice of Russia, regarding the situation on Korean peninsula, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it does not necessarily consider the missile launch an action that violates UN regulations. He added that he believed the situation on the peninsula would ease, expressing his hope that all relevant parties will seek restraint and create an opportunity for a resumption of the six-party talks.
The same day, news sources in Japan said that Tokyo was considering a resumption of bilateral talks with North Korea which was suspended last year, to resolve questions over the abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago.