Tokyo, Sep 13 (Representative) Special representatives of the Japanese, South Korean and US foreign ministries have discussed over the phone North Korea’s recent missile launches and the ongoing meeting between leaders of Russia and North Korea, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim, South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Gunn, and Director General of the Asian and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Japanese Foreign Ministry Hiroyuki Namazu took part in the discussion, the ministry said in a statement. “[The representatives] have once again confirmed shared perspective that unprecedentedly frequent North Korea’s launches of ballistic and other missiles, including the ones on September 13, pose a grave danger to the region’s security and are a frank and serious challenge to the global community …
The parties have also exchanged views on the current situation in North Korea, including the Russian-North Korean leaders’ meeting,” the statement read.Earlier in the day, the Japanese Defense Ministry said that it had recorded two ballistic missile launches, carried out by Pyongyang within nine minutes from one another. Both missiles are believed to have landed outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan. Later, Tokyo responded to the launches by expressing strong criticism of Pyongyang’s actions and adding that it will work with the US towards protecting “people’s lives.” No damage to Japanese vessels or infrastructure has been reported.This was the 17th missile launch by North Korea in 2023.