Government ‘strongly condemns’ North Korea missile test

“It is cause for grave concern that several of the missiles came down inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Pyongyang’s repeated provocations pose a direct threat to the stability of the region and to the security of both Japan and the Republic of Korea,” reads a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, published on the official government website kormany.hu.

The ministry called upon the North Korean leadership “to immediately suspend all actions that violate the UN Security Council’s relevant resolutions and undermine the stability of the region. North Korea, with today’s missile launch, has demonstrated again that it refuses to cooperate with the international community. Therefore, it is indispensable that the international community respond to the provocations of North Korea in a unified manner,” adds the statement.

The statement by the ministry stresses Hungaryʼs commitment to supporting partners in the region in the interests of expanding the sanctions against the regime in Pyongyang.

“We call upon all members of the international community to fully comply with and strictly enforce the restrictive measures in place against North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” the statement adds.

News network CNN reported this morning that a North Korean military unit tasked with striking U.S. bases in Japan was involved in the launch of four ballistic missiles, citing the Pyongyang-headquartered Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Three of the four missiles were reported to have landed within 200 miles of Japanʼs coastline in its exclusive economic zone, according to an earlier report on CNN. The rockets were allegedly fired as part of a drill by North Koreaʼs Hwasong artillery units.