South Korea's foreign minister suggested on Monday that his government would take clear retaliatory measures against North Korea if the communist country launches a long-range missile.
"North Korea's long-range missile launch, if conducted, cannot be brushed aside as nothing," Ban Ki-moon said, speaking at a plenary session of the National Assembly's unification, foreign affairs and trade committee.
However, Ban failed to elaborate on what countermeasures Seoul might take against Pyongyang.
Tension has been mounting on the Korean Peninsula over foreign news reports that North Korea is preparing to test-fire a long-range missile that may be capable of reaching as far as the mainland U.S. North Korea surprised the world in 1998 when it launched a three-stage rocket that flew over Japan before falling into the Pacific Ocean. Pyongyang insists that it was a successful mission to place a satellite in orbit.
"Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok has recently said the government will reconsider its food and fertilizer aid to North Korea should it test-fire a missile. I think that's the government's position (on that matter)," Ban said, reaffirming Seoul's plan to relate the missile issue to its aid to the North.
When asked if he had any intention of issuing a joint statement with Japan's foreign minister as the two nations did during the 1998 missile crisis, Ban said a joint statement is among the measures being discussed in talks with the United States and Japan.
Meanwhile, Song Min-soon, chief secretary to President Roh Moo-hyun for security policy, said the government is working on special countermeasures that are not included in his government's crisis management manuals.
"This is a special situation, rather than a crisis or disaster, so we're establishing a measure through a different channel," Song said at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on national defense.
Seoul, June 26 (Yonhap News)
S. Korea's Foreign minister suggests strong countermeasures against N. Korea |
