JAKARTA - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said any new nuclear tests by North Korea would be met with an international response that had never been seen in the past, asking China to play a bigger role in preventing Pyongyang's provocations.
President Yoon made the remarks in an interview with Reuters, which was released Tuesday, amid growing fears Pyongyang could conduct its seventh nuclear test, following a series of recent missile launches.
If North Korea continues the trial, President Yoon vowed to provide a response "to what has never existed in the past" by South Korea and its partners.
"It would be very unwise for North Korea to carry out the seventh nuclear test," said President Yoon, citing the interview from the Korea Times Nov. 29.
"We must respond consistently, and in line with each other," President Yoon continued, blaming the lack of consistency in the international response to North Korea's three-decade policy failures.
Regarding the increasing Pyongyang missile provocation, President Yoon said China not only has responsibility, but also the ability to influence North Korea's behavior.
"China can and must use influence to stop North Korea from developing weapons. To be sure, China has the ability to influence North Korea, and China has a responsibility to engage in the process," said President Yoon.
Pyongyang has fired 63 ballistic missiles this year, including 10 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 2.5 times more than the previous annual record of 25 missiles, according to US officials.
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