President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday in condemning North Korea’s action to reportedly fire an intercontinental ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan.

“We join Japan, together with the rest of the ASEAN, in condemning the continued threat that the launching [of] ballistic missiles by the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] represents,” President Marcos said.

The President made the remarks prior to his speech during the meeting of Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) leaders at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan as part of the 50th Commemorative ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation Summit.

“As we speak on economic progress in our region, we found these aspirations on a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific Region. So, such dangerous and provocative actions by the DPRK threaten and destabilize the region and the world,” he added.

North Korea reportedly fired a long-range ballistic missile, which supposedly fell into the sea, west of Hokkaido, according to Japan’s coast guard. | PND