Park Asks ASEAN to Oppose North Korea's Nuclear and Missile Provocations

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye stepped up her diplomacy on Wednesday to counter North Korea's nuclear threats by encouraging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to go against the North's psychological warfare through "unequivocal words and actions."

Yonhap News Agency reported that during the ASEAN summit in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, Park emphasized that North Korea's developing missile and nuclear programs present a "great threat to the peace of not only the Korean Peninsula but also the international community as a whole."

The South Korean leader said, "Unequivocal words and actions by ASEAN member states that have maintained certain relations with North Korea will play a crucial role in making Pyongyang recognize the firm resolve of the international community (to oppose its provocative moves). I call on you to offer your attention and support for the efforts by the international community to denuclearize the North and induce it to change."

Even after receiving international warnings and appeals, North Korea has proceeded to engage in provocative acts such as its launch of the three mid-range Rodong ballistic missiles on Monday and a test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on August.

Following North Korea's latest missile launch, the UN Security Council adopted a press statement that strongly criticized the missile launches and called them a "grave violation" of applicable UN resolutions.

Park also discussed the South China Sea dispute, urging the involved parties to settle their maritime disputes by "peaceful and creative diplomatic efforts."

She said, "We (South Korea) have been keeping a consistent position that the South China Sea disputes should be peacefully resolved through related agreements, non-militarization commitments, and the internationally established code of conduct."

South Korea has been very careful not to interfere or step into the sensitive conflicts over territorial issues. However, the calls for the country to take actions in protecting sea lanes of communication on high seas due to the fact that its export-reliant economy is highly dependent on maritime trading routes.