The South Korean Foreign Ministry summoned the top Japanese envoy here Monday to relay Seoul's position on North Korea's recent missile launches, officials said.
Japan has been pushing for a United Nations resolution against the North's activity, a move reportedly opposed by China and Russia.
"Vice Foreign Minister Lee Kyu-hyung briefed Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Shotaro Oshima on the government's position regarding the issue," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Lee also explained how South Korea intends to approach soon-to-be-opened inter-Korean ministerial talks, he added.
South and North Korea are set to hold a round of Cabinet-level talks from Tuesday until Friday in a South Korean port city of Busan.
According to ministry officials, Lee asked the Japanese government to be more cautious in pushing to send an anti-North Korea resolution to the U.N. Security Council for voting.
"The South Korean government believes that any message to North Korea should be adopted in stages and any unilateral move to pass an anti-North Korea resolution through the UNSC is not desirable," said a ministry official.
"We delivered such a message to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels," the official added.
In this regard, South Korea's top presidential aide said Sunday that it is difficult to determine if any U.N. sanctions on North Korea would be effective in deterring the North's missile proliferation program.
Song Min-soon, chief secretary to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun for security policy, said that now is the time to concentrate on a diplomatic settlement of the North Korean missile problem.
However, Song made it clear that the South Korean government would support U.N. sanctions on North Korea, if they are determined effective in preventing the North from pursuing its missile program further.
Seoul, July 10 (Yonhap News)
S. Korea calls in Japanese envoy for talks on N. Korean missile issue |
