S Korea, US defense officials warn North against missile test

South Korea and the US on Thursday warned Pyongyang against a potential missile test that said there  would be a violation of UN resolutions as the two countries wrapped up annual high-level defence talks.

There has been widespread speculation that North Korea is planning a satellite rocket launch to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party on October 10.

Senior defense officials who attended the two-day Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue vowed to closely coordinate with each other against “potential provocations by the North”, Seoul’s defense ministry said in a statement. 

“The US and South Korean officials... also reaffirmed their stance that any missile launch by the North using ballistic missile technology would be a violation of many UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement said.

 They also reiterated the stance that the isolated North should dismantle its nuclear weapons programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, said the ministry. Pyongyang insists its space programme is purely scientific, but the US, the South and their allies deem any such rocket launch to be a disguised ballistic missile test that violates UN resolutions.