MANILA - Southeast Asian nations expressed "grave concern" Friday over North Korea's nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches. Foreign ministers pose for a family photo during the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Manila on Friday. (EPA photo)Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) issued their statement on Friday on the eve of an Asean leaders' annual summit in Manila, saying the instability on the Korean Peninsula "seriously impacts the region and beyond''. North Korea has been quietly reaching out to other nations to ease criticism amid the barrage of US threats, according to a Philippine official. One such meeting is the Asean Regional Forum in August, which is attended by the foreign ministers including those from the US and North Korea.

Source: Bangkok Post April 28, 2017 09:00 UTC