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Philippines expresses serious concerns on North Korean missile launch
The Philippines expressed serious concern over the launch of yet another ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and lamented Pyongyang’s continued weapons development, which increases tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
“We call on Pyongyang to commit to making meaningful progress towards the peaceful resolution of the issues facing the Korean Peninsula,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“Meaningful dialogue can only happen when the DPRK ceases such provocative and highly dangerous actions,” Cayetano said as he again called on the DPRK to cease its nuclear weapons development program.
DPRK is the official name of North Korea.
“We also reiterate ASEAN’s readiness to play a constructive role to help reduce tensions and promote peace in the Peninsula,” Cayetano added.
Under the Philippines' chairmanship, ASEAN issued foreign ministers statements in April and August, urging the DPRK to cease its weapons development and return to the negotiating table.
Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that experts say flew higher and further than any other missile the country previously launched. The missile was launched from a facility in Sain ni and landed in an area within the Japan's exclusive economic zone.
“Our foreign service posts in Seoul, Tokyo and Osaka continue to closely monitor the situation and provide up-to-date information to our Filipino communities in these countries,” the Secretary stated.
There are approximately 65,000 and 242,000 Filipinos living in the Republic of Korea and Japan, respectively.
This launch is the fourth incident involving Japan, following a similar missile test on August 29, which ended with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. This marks the 14th DPRK ballistic missile test for 2017 alone. DMS
