President Moon Jae-in and French President Immanuel Macron spoke on the phone for 20 minutes from 4:07 this afternoon. Their telephone discussion focused on how to respond to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test.

President Moon pointed out that the nuclear test this time was a grave provocation that was completely different and unprecedented in scale and nature. He expressed his appreciation to his French counterpart for close cooperation on the issue, including the announcement of a statement of condemnation immediately after the nuclear test, joining the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and the Republic of Korea in calling for convening an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and calling.

President Moon Jae-in and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had a telephone conversation for 35 minutes from 4:50 this afternoon to discuss measures to respond to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test.

President Moon noted that the North’s nuclear test, a serious challenge to the peace and safety of the international community, was a grave provocation that was completely different from previous ones in scale and nature.

Noting that his Administration has so far exercised patience in urging the North to stop and abandon its nuclear and missile programs, President Moon said that now, however, it would work together with the international community to take strong and practical countermeasures that could be keenly felt by the North.

President Moon underscored his hope that the two nations would be able to work together to realize common goals of achieving stability and prosperity in East Asia on the basis of the framework for unwavering cooperation they have so far attained, including through the Korea-Australia Foreign and Defense Ministers` (2+2) Meeting to be held in October in Seoul. 

Expressing full understanding on the issue, Prime Minister Turnbull said the Australian Government had denounced North Korea’s behavior by issuing a joint statement under the name of the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defense on the date of the sixth nuclear test. The Prime Minister also said it would strengthen pressure against the North, including the full implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution, in the days to come.

The two leaders were on the same page on the need to peacefully and fundamentally solve the North Korean nuclear issue and for the international community, including Korea and Australia, to unite and apply maximum sanctions and pressure against the North in the days to come so that it would return to the negotiating table. They also agreed to continue close cooperation in that regard.