The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and China held phone talks on Saturday to share their assessment of the situation on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk and his Chinese counterpart, Liu Xiaoming, agreed to continue cooperation towards the stable management of the situation on the peninsula, including preventing further deterioration.

In the phone conversation, Noh stressed that a concerted response is needed by the international community in order to make North Korea immediately halt its actions of raising tensions and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

In particular, Noh asked China to play a constructive role in the process.

The ministry said that the two sides agreed to continue their countries' consultation on Korean Peninsula issues through various channels, including in-person meetings.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council discussed the adoption of a press statement denouncing North Korea's latest launch of an ICBM, but failed to reach a conclusion due to opposition from China and Russia.