The head of South Korea's National Security Council was set to visit the National Assembly on Monday to brief ruling and opposition party leaders about the latest missile provocation by North Korea.
Chung Eui-yong, the chairman of the NSC's standing committee, was set to meet with National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun and floor leaders of four major political parties, according to an official from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.
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Chung Eui-yong, the chairman of the NSC's standing committee (Yonhap) |
The parties included the ruling Democratic Party, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and the splinter conservative Bareun Party.
The visit follows an earlier meeting of the NSC prompted by Pyongyang's launch of what appeared to be a Scud-type missile from its eastern Gwangwon Province early Monday.
Cheong Wa Dae officials noted it was a short-range missile that apparently had little to do with the communist state's ongoing development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Still, it marked North Korea's third missile launch since South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in came into office on May 10. It marked the ninth North Korean missile launch since the start of the year.
The Seoul government said it will deal sternly with any military provocation from the communist North in a statement released by a spokesman for the foreign ministry.
Chung's visit to the parliament apparently sought to win bipartisan support for government efforts to curb North Korean provocations.
The Moon administration is also moving to restart the six-nation talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions that have been stalled since 2008.
The six-way talks involve both Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the United States. (Yonhap)
