Press Conferences

Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs: I just held a telephone meeting with Secretary of State Blinken of the United States for approximately 10 minutes following North Korea’s missile launch this morning. Secretary Blinken and I condemned this outrageous act in which North Korea launched a missile that flew over Japan for the first time in approximately five years, as a serious and imminent threat to Japan’s security and a clear and serious threat to the entire international community. This took place following an unprecedented frequency of four launches in one week last week. We concurred to continue close coordination between Japan and the United States as well as among Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on implementing further measures to be taken by the United Nations (UN) Security Council towards the complete denuclearization of North Korea, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. I reiterated my determination to fundamentally reinforce Japan’s defense capabilities, and Secretary Blinken and I shared the view to promote related initiatives, including the strengthening of the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance and cooperation among Japan, the United States, and the ROK. I will continue to coordinate and cooperate closely with Secretary Blinken to defend the peace and stability of Japan and the region.