Asean defense chiefs call on North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons, condemn missile launches

DEFENSE chiefs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) to abandon its nuclear weapons programs, condemning its multiple ballistic missile launches as a violation of the United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions.

In a statement on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman of the Asean Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), said the ministers "expressed concern" over the escalation of tension triggered by North Korea's threats to the United States.