NSC, 북한 미사일 발사에 강한 우려,... 비판 동시에 대화동력 유지에도 공

Reacting fast to North Korea's second missile launch in a week,... South Korea's presidential office expressed strong concerns that such actions could hamper efforts for peace... on the Korean Peninsula.
Shin Se-min at the Blue House.
South Korea's presidential office expressed deep concerns over North Korea's missile launch Wednesday, and saw it as harming efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. The top office, in a readout, said that the standing committee of the National Security Council voiced strong concerns that North Korea's launching of two short-range ballistic missiles could seriously damage the drive for peace.
The NSC, however, added that Seoul will ramp up its military readiness while closely monitoring the situation.
An emergency meeting of the NSC, presided over by National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong, was held in the morning, soon after the launches.
They also stressed the need to continue diplomatic efforts to resume the stalled talks on denuclearization,... in view of the new momentum after the leaders of the two Koreas and the U.S. met last month at the border village of Panmunjeom.
The committee also took up South Korea's row with Japan.
Discussing Tokyo's trade restrictions on Seoul,... the NSC vowed to use all possible means to deal with Japan's controls on exports to South Korea of materials key to making computer chips among other things.
They also promised to respond firmly if Japan continues its export restrictions.
Japan is reportedly "on course" to drop South Korea from its whitelist of trading partners,... and a decision on that could come as soon as this Friday.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.