Senior diplomats of S. Korea, Russia hold phone talks over N. Korea

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Russia talked over the phone Wednesday to discuss North Korea's recent missile launches and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said.

Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, spoke with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov amid rising tension after the North last week hinted at lifting its yearslong self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests.

"The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the latest situation on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's spate of missile launches, and discussed ways to prevent the situation from further aggravation," the ministry said in a release.

Noh emphasized the need to restart the stalled talks with Pyongyang to address the rising threat from its nuclear and missile program and called for Russia's "constructive" role in defusing tension on the peninsula, it noted.

Tensions have ratcheted up in recent weeks after the North conducted four ballistic missile tests -- including two of what it claims to be a hypersonic missile -- since the start of the year. (Yonhap)