Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian [EPA Yonhap News]

China has refused to comment on North Korea's ballistic missile test-firing, which occurred on the same day President Lee Jae-myung began his visit to China.

When asked by Yonhap News Agency during a regular press briefing on the 5th, "North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles on the day President Lee Jae-myung visited China, which is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. What is China's stance?" spokesperson Lin Jian stated, "We have no particular comment on reports concerning North Korea's launch activities."

Recently, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has emphasized its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council on most international issues, but has refrained from commenting or expressing its position on North Korea's missile launches.

On January 6th, May 8th, and January 22nd of last year, when North Korea launched ballistic missiles, China repeatedly stated only that there were "no new comments."

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles from the vicinity of Pyongyang on the 4th, firing them towards the East Sea in the morning.

The military reported that the detected North Korean missiles flew approximately 900 kilometers and landed in the East Sea between Japan and Russia.

The missile launch occurred on the day President Lee Jae-myung was on a state visit to China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss agendas such as "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." This has led some to interpret it as an intentional act by North Korea to assert its presence.

Spokesperson Lin also expressed expectations for the upcoming South Korea-China summit during the press briefing.

When asked about the agenda for the bilateral summit scheduled for that afternoon, Spokesperson Lin replied, "As close neighbors and cooperative partners, China and South Korea, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, expect this visit to play a positive role in further developing the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership. We will provide updates in a timely manner regarding the visit."