North Korea ‘in provocation phase’ after ballistic missile tests, says US secretary of state

The words are strong. North Korea is “in the provocation phase” with its recent ballistic missile tests, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday February 12. The American politician and his South Korean counterparts Chung Eui-yong and Japanese Hayashi Yoshimasa reaffirmed their unity in the face of the North Korean threat during a meeting in Honolulu, in the American state of Hawaii.

Pyongyang “must stop illegal activities and start dialogue”they wrote in a joint statement, calling it “destabilizing” the seven weapons tests carried out by North Korea since the beginning of the year. Washington, Tokyo and Seoul “have no hostile intent” with regard to Pyongyang and continue to wish for the opening of a dialogue “without preconditions”added the three ministers.

Antony Blinken stopped in Hawaii on his return from a Pacific tour, which took him to Australia and Fiji. In Melbourne, he attended a meeting of the Quad, the alliance between the United States, Australia, Japan and India intended to counter the growing influence of China in Asia-Pacific.