Philippines slams North Korea over continuing ballistic missile launches

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines expressed serious concern and strongly denounced yesterday the continuing ballistic missile launches being conducted by North Korea.

“Such provocative actions undermine economic progress, peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement. 

The statement called on North Korea to stop its continuing weapons tests and missile launches carried out during the past months and weeks.

“We call on the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to immediately cease these activities and abide by all international obligations, including relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and to commit to peaceful and constructive dialogue,” the DFA said.

“The Philippines wants to see lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and echoes the calls of the international community for a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of DPRK,” the statement added.

North Korea’s most recent reported missile test happened on Sept. 12, with multiple ballistic missiles fired toward its eastern seas in the Korean peninsula.