US Secretary of State Antony Binken met with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea in Hawaii to discuss the threat of the recent weapons development and series of missile testings of North Korea.
Blinken discussed with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong on the recent missile launchings of Pyongyang that threaten the stabilization of security in the indo-pacific region.
Before talking to Blinken, as per ABC News, Hayashi and Chung had a separate bilateral meeting wherein Japan's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the importance of collaborating with the United States in responding to North Korea and to achieve regional stability.
Several experts pointed out that the continued weapons test by North Korea, despite prohibitions from the United Nations Security Council, intends to pressure the administration of US President Joe Biden to resume the stalled nuclear negotiations to help ease Pyongyang's economy battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and US-led sanctions.
North Korea has been granted open-ended dialogue by Biden's administration, but the nation's nuclear program has not been significantly reduced based on recent reports.
North Korea's recent missile launches indicate progress in its weapons development program announced by leader Kim Jong Un last year. In a previous test, Pyongyang launched a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of hitting Guam.
According to military analysts, North Korea seems to temporarily stop its weapons tests but they believe that it will resume and will dramatically increase after the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Three Countries Working Closely for Security in the Region
The series of missile testings raised concerns from Japan and South Korea, the Associated Press reported.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said last month that the tests violate UN Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to stop its actions that provoke "tensions and pressure".
In January, Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had their first one-on-one meeting that established cooperation between the two countries to work closely on the North Korean development of nuclear weapons.
In response to North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006, the United Nations Security Council slapped sanctions on the nation. The fifteen-member International security council made sanctions harder as Pyongyang continued to bolster its nuclear and missile capabilities.
North Korea's Secret Missile Base Discovered
US think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) earlier disclose a report indicating North Korea has constructed a secret missile base near its border with China.
Based on satellite imagery, per Al Jazeera, the CSIS said the base located in an isolated mountain valley in Chagang province is probably intended to contain "intercontinental ballistic missiles."
The CSIS said that the launching of a Hwansong 12 long-range missile, with a range of 4,500 km (2,800 miles, came from the area on Jan. 30.
According to the report, Pyongyang began putting up the base two decades ago, suggesting rare development planning linked to projected development and "basing needs" of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, experts at the United Nations warn North Korea is continuing to build its nuclear and ballistic missiles in violation of international constraints. Pyongyang reportedly uses illicit money, including online raids on cryptocurrency exchanges, to fund its weapons development agenda.
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