South Korea's National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday joined the United States in condemning Pyongyang's latest missile launches, which it described as "serious provocations raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region."
"In particular, they made clear that South Korea-US combined defense exercises aimed at protecting our people's lives and safety in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats will continue unwaveringly," the presidential office said of an emergency NSC meeting, according to Yonhap.
The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and two short-range ballistic missiles were fired toward the East Sea earlier on Thursday, with the ICBM triggering evacuation alerts in Japan before landing in the Pacific Ocean.
