South Korea seeks Laos’ support against North Korea threats at upcoming ASEAN summits

SEOUL — A senior South Korean diplomat has asked Laos for support in sending a stern and unified message to North Korea against its military and other provocations at upcoming summits involving major Southeast Asian countries, Seoul officials said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won voiced his concerns about North Korea during his courtesy call to Saleumxay Kommasith, Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, reports Yonhap news agency.

Chung was visiting Laos this week to attend a senior officials’ meeting for a series of multilateral conferences with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including the Korea-Mekong business forum, the East Asia Summit, and the ASEAN and its three Northeast Asian dialogue partners — South Korea, China and Japan.

At the meeting, Chung expressed concerns over the North’s continued ballistic missile launches and the sending of trash-carrying balloons across the border into the South, as well as the illegal military cooperation with Russia.

Chung asked Laos, the chair of the upcoming ASEAN-related summits set for October, to “play an active role in ensuring that a clear and resolute message will be sent to North Korea,” the foreign ministry said.

Saleumxay, in response, said that Laos supports Korea’s denuclearisation efforts and the international commitment to implementing the UN Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

He added that Laos will make every effort as the chair to help drive these efforts.

Chung also proposed that Korea and Laos work closely to elevate bilateral relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” on the occasion of the upcoming ASEAN summits, the ministry said.