Just hours after North Korea's launches, President Moon Jae-in issued a warning to the North: if such behavior continues, efforts toward dialogue could be thrown into jeopardy.
Not only that, if the latest missiles are confirmed to be ballistic missiles, he said it may even constitute a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Shin Se-min reports.
Topping the agenda for President Moon Jae-in's first TV interview with a local broadcaster: North Korea's apparent missile launch on Thursday -- an escalation from the regime's previous weapons test five days earlier.
He said Seoul and Washington believe the North fired what appeared to be "short-range missiles."
He added it might constitute a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, which prohibits the regime from using ballistic missile technology.
And the South Korean leader had a clear warning to North Korea after an eventful few days of military activity.
"If North Korea continues such actions, I would like to warn them that it could make dialogue and negotiations more difficult."
President Moon also said the launches were the North's way of showing its discontent that the second North Korea-U.S. summit in February ended with no deal.
"These are considered planned actions. North Korea wants to express its feelings, while ensuring its actions don't wreck the dialogue process."
On the issue of sending humanitarian food aid to North Korea,... the president floated the idea of sending rice to the North,... saying South Korea has a huge amount of rice just sitting in stockpiles.
And for that,... he urged South Korea's political parties to strike an agreement and stand behind the plan.
"Providing food aid to North Korea will require public support as well as discussions between rival parties and the political circles. We'd need all the parties to meet and agree."
The president also repeatedly stressed that his administration's plan to send food aid to North Korea had been fully supported by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Reminiscing on that moment when the leaders of the two Koreas held private talks on that blue-painted Foot Bridge at the border village last year,... President Moon added that he plans to actively engage the North for another summit meeting in the near future,... one that could perhaps serve as a catalyst for breaking the current nuclear negotiation impasse.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News."
