CAPE TOWN, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Tuesday called for a negotiated solution to the Korean Peninsula crisis.
"It is only through a negotiated solution that the issues affecting the Korean Peninsula can be resolved," the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said.
The department issued the statement following the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over the territory of Japan.
South Africa deplores the launch of the missile, which again violates the obligations of the DPRK under various UN Security Council resolutions, DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
"This most recent ballistic missile launch over the territory of Japan represents a serious and unacceptable escalation of an already complex security situation in the region," he said.
South Africa shares the concerns of the international community regarding the nuclear weapon and delivery system-related activities of the DPRK, which undermines regional and international peace and security, the spokesperson said.
"We reiterate our call on the DPRK to adhere to its Security Council-mandated obligations, to return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to fulfil its International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards obligations," he added.
South Africa also calls upon the DPRK to fulfil its commitments under the Six-Party Talks with a view to achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Monyela said.
The DPRK and all states involved should refrain from any further action which may undermine the pursuit of such a negotiated solution and further increase tensions in the Northeast Asia region and beyond, said Monyela.
