VIENTIANE — South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has called for a concerted international response to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions during the ASEAN Plus Three foreign ministers’ meeting held Saturday in Vientiane. The gathering included top diplomats from ASEAN member states, along with representatives from South Korea, Japan, and China.
According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea’s ongoing nuclear developments and its military collaboration with Russia pose significant threats to stability in the Korean Peninsula and the broader region. He emphasized the importance of a strong and unified message from the international community against North Korea’s actions. The meeting also addressed the significance of trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Tokyo, and Beijing, highlighting a recent summit in Seoul as a positive step towards enhancing regional collaboration. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that ASEAN Plus Three could lead efforts in fostering cooperation across Northeast Asia despite global challenges, reinforcing the importance of this regional dialogue framework initiated in 1997.