S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N. Korea's latest missile launches by phone

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- Senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan held telephone consultations Friday to share information and discuss responses to North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

On Thursday, North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The North's state media reported Friday that it fired a 600-millimeter multiple rocket launcher, tactical cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles during the weapons demonstration the previous day.

Baek Yong-jin, director general for Korean Peninsula policy at Seoul's foreign ministry, spoke with David Wilezol, deputy assistant secretary for Northeast Asia at the U.S. State Department, and Takashi Ariyoshi, a senior official at Japan's foreign ministry, the ministry said.

"The three officials shared relevant information and discussed future responses," the ministry said in a press release.

"The foreign affairs authorities of the three countries operate a channel for promptly sharing information and assessments whenever North Korea launches ballistic missiles," it added.

North Korea's latest missile launches came a week after Seoul proposed holding military talks with Pyongyang to resolve differences over the demarcation of their border, as tensions in inter-Korean border region have risen since last month's land mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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