Yoon calls for unified action against NK threats at summit with Chinese presence

President Yoon Suk Yeol (left) shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Qiang after taking a photo at the ASEAN+3 summit held at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia on Wedneday. Indonesian President Joko Widodo is in the middle, and Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone is on the right. (Yonhap)

At a summit attended by Association of Southeast Asian member nations, Japan and China, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called on the international community to unite and decisively respond to North Korea's ongoing nuclear and missile development efforts.

Speaking at the ASEAN+3 summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday afternoon, Yoon noted an “unprecedented frequency” in North Korean provocations. He urged leaders to firmly address these provocations by supporting sanctions against the North Korean regime. Measures include halting the dispatch of overseas workers and curbing illegal cyber activities, according to the presidential office.

Present at the summit were leaders from the ASEAN member states, along with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. In a break from tradition, Yoon referred to the trilateral grouping as "South Korea, Japan and China," a gesture highlighting the country’s repaired relations with Japan by mentioning it before China.

During the summit, Yoon emphasized the necessity of cooperation among the attending nations, stating, "ASEAN+3 has been fostering the vision of an East Asian community. It is imperative that ASEAN+3 spearheads a new era of collaboration."

He pledged South Korea's active involvement as the chair of the forthcoming ninth South Korea-Japan-China summit, and as the coordinating country representing the trio in the ASEAN+3 group.

To reboot the cooperation mechanism among the three nations, Yoon affirmed, "We will maintain close communication with the governments of Japan and China."

By Shin Ji-hye(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)