Politics & Government

Hayashi, Blinken condemn North Korean missile launches

Reuters
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi poses with counterparts Antony Blinken of the U.S. and Germany’s Annalena Baerbock in Munster, Germany, on Thursday.

By Kazusa Yoda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:54 JST, November 4, 2022

MUNSTER, Germany — Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly condemned the latest round of North Korean ballistic missile launches on the sidelines of a Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in Munster, Germany.

During brief talks on Thursday night, Hayashi and Blinken said the launches were a grave and immediate threat to regional security and a clear and serious challenge to the international community.

The two foreign ministers agreed on the importance of further strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan – U.S. alliance. They also reaffirmed that Japan, the United States and South Korea would work closely toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea.