Japan, South Korea agree to boost pressure on Pyongyang

November 30, 2017

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed Wednesday on close cooperation among their countries and the United States to strengthen pressure on North Korea to stop the reclusive nation's continued provocations.

In the 15-minute telephone summit, held in the wake of Pyongyang's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier in the day, Abe told Moon that he cannot tolerate at all any missile launch that threatens the national security of both Japan and South Korea. Abe then voiced his willingness to handle the situation together with Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump.

In reply, Moon said he takes North Korean provocations seriously.

During the talks, Moon invited Abe to visit South Korea during the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang in February. The prime minister expressed appreciation for the invitation.

In Washington, the United States urged the international community on Wednesday to isolate North Korea further after Pyongyang fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The continuing missile development "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told an emergency UN Security Council meeting, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"So today, we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea," Haley said.

Specifically, she urged all countries to sever diplomatic and trade relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical, or commercial cooperation with it in addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions.

The meeting was held at the request of Japan, the United States and South Korea following Pyongyang's ICBM launch on Wednesday local time.

Haley also pressed for action by China to increase pressure on North Korea.

"President (Donald) Trump called Chinese President Xi (Jinping) this morning and told him that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

The ambassador said, "The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it." "If war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," she said.

Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Wu Haitao called for a diplomatic resolution through dialogue, while expressing concern and opposition to the latest missile launch.

China and Russia reiterated their proposal that the United States and South Korea freeze their joint military exercises in exchange for North Korea's suspension of its nuclear and missile development.

On Wednesday, North Korea claimed its successful launch of a new Hwasong-15 ICBM and declared the country has achieved its goal of completing the development of a state nuclear force.

Members of the Security Council one after another criticized Pyongyang and expressed concern over the situation.

Koro Bessho, Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, said the international community has no choice but to cooperate to ramp up pressure on North Korea to the maximum with the aim of making the country change its policy.

French Ambassador to the United Nations Francois Delattre said only powerful sanctions can have an impact on the strategies of the North Korean regime.

After North Korea launched two ICBMs in July, the Security Council adopted a resolution banning North Korean exports of coal and marine products. Following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test, conducted in September, the powerful UN body placed limits on crude oil exports to the reclusive country for the first time. Jiji Press