Politics & Government

G-7 Foreign Ministers Slam N. Korea over ICBM Launch

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Foreign Ministry head office is seen in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

Jiji Press

11:05 JST, December 20, 2023

Tokyo (Jiji Press)—Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major powers have released a statement condemning in the strongest terms North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile Monday.

“North Korea continues to advance its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and to escalate its destabilizing activities,” the statement released Tuesday read, urging the East Asian country to abandon its nuclear and missile development programs.

The G-7 ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of North Korea’s arms transfers to Russia, which they said violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

They called for compliance with the resolutions and requested Pyongyang to accept the offers of “dialogue without preconditions” made by Japan, the United States and South Korea.

A North Korean state media report said that the ballistic missile launched Monday was a Hwasong-18 ICBM.