South Korea on Tuesday denounced North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile over Japan as a serious provocation, while China refrained from leveling criticism but encouraged dialogue to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula based on its stance that the United States is to blame for tensions in the region.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Seoul will consider strengthening sanctions against Pyongyang to deter further provocations. Concerns remain that the North could conduct its seventh nuclear test, the first since September 2017, in the near future.

Photo taken Oct. 4, 2022, shows the North Korean Embassy in Beijing. (Kyodo)

Reckless nuclear provocations will "face a decisive response from our military and our allies, as well as the international community," Yoon told reporters.

The president said nuclear and missile provocations will only strengthen security cooperation around the region, including between South Korea, the United States and Japan.

South Korea and the United States held a joint military flight and precision bombing drill the same day in response to the missile launch, with four F-15K fighters from South Korea's air force and another four F-16 fighters from the U.S. Air Force participating.

China hopes that all parties concerned will "keep the policy of seeking a political settlement of issues on the Korean Peninsula and address each other's concerns in a balanced way through dialogue," the Chinese Foreign Ministry told Kyodo News.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning criticized Washington at a press conference last Friday for conducting "multiple joint military exercises in this region recently."

She also stressed Beijing's position of siding with North Korea, saying Pyongyang's "legitimate and reasonable security concerns" have not been duly responded to.

Beijing apparently seeks to avoid further destabilization in the region before the ruling Communist Party's once-in-five-year congress, beginning Oct. 16, because it cannot concentrate on domestic matters if the situation on the Korean Peninsula worsens in addition to its tensions with the United States over Taiwan.

Beijing is Pyongyang's closest and most influential ally in security and economic terms.


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