BANGKOK: Several Asia-Pacific leaders who had gathered for an economic summit in the Thai capital broke away from their meeting on Friday to condemn North Korea after it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

US Vice President Kamala Harris called an emergency gathering of leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand on the sidelines of the summit after North Korea carried out the missile test just an hour before its inauguration.

The leaders vowed to pressure North Korea as they held urgent talks on the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Japan said the missile landed in its waters but was capable of striking the US mainland. Harris, who met the leaders of close US partners on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok, said: “We strongly condemn these actions and we again call for North Korea to stop further unlawful, destabilising acts.”

A White House statement on the Bangkok talks said the six leaders also warned of a “strong and resolute response” if North Korea carries out the nuclear test.

The leaders agreed the “path to dialogue remains open” for North Korea, and they called on the country to abandon needless provocation and to return to serious and sustained diplomacy, the statement added.

It also called on all UN members to “fully implement” Security Council resolutions, which imposed broad sanctions on North Korea.

The launch follows weeks of spiralling tensions with North Korea, which US intelligence believes is preparing a seventh nuclear test.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, speaking at the meeting, acknowledged concerns that North Korea is ignoring pressure. “There is the possibility that North Korea will launch further missiles,” Mr Kishida said.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the “brazen” missile launch must “never be tolerated”.

“The international community must respond in a resolute manner,” Han said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the missile launch “reckless”. “This is completely unacceptable and must not continue,” Trudeau told reporters.

He said that Canada planned to boost its military engagement in Asia as part of an upcoming regional strategy.

New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern promised her country’s “ongoing response and strength of response”, saying she understood the “anxiety” of Japan and South Korea.

Despite the pressure campaign, the Biden administration believes that China ultimately is the country with the greatest chance of pressuring North Korea. Biden who met Monday Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali voiced confidence that Beijing was “not looking for North Korea to engage in further escalation”.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2022