philippines airs ‘grave concern’ over latest missile test

The Philippines yesterday expressed grave concern over North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile that flew over Japanese airspace.

“We call on the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to halt these dangerous and provocative actions, which heighten tensions, increase instability and the risk of miscalculation, and could possibly endanger lives,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement.

North Korea launched the missile at about 5 a.m., Philippine time, yesterday. The missile flew over Hokkaido island in northern Japan, setting off warnings for people to take emergency shelter.

Cayetano said he instructed the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of around 242,000 Filipinos living and working in Japan. The Philippines also operates a consulate in Osaka.

This is the second time the DPRK fired a missile over Japanese airspace. The first missile launch was in 1998.

“We recall the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Statement on Developments in the Korean Peninsula issued on August 5th and urge the DPRK to fully comply with its obligations under the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions,” Cayetano said.

“Asean and the Philippines, as this year’s chair, remain committed to peaceful resolutions of conflict. While we are ready to do our part, provocations such as this latest missile launch should stop to help us put in place an environment that would be conducive for dialogue,” he added.

Indonesia, one of the few nations to have decades of cordial relations with North Korea, also condemned the latest launch.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs North Korea to abide by U.N. resolutions condemning its ballistic missile launches and nuclear weapons development.

“Stability on the Korean peninsula is very important,” the ministry says.

South Korea says the North Korean missile flew 2,700 kilometers and reached a height of 550 kilometers before it fell into the Pacific Ocean.