Merkel, Moon call for tougher sanctions against North Korea

4 Sep 2017:German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke by phone on Monday and condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test, calling for tougher sanctions against Pyongyang, a German government spokesman said.

"In light of North Korea's unreasonable and confrontational stance, the chancellor and the president voiced their support for the international community to rapidly adopt additional stricter sanctions," spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

Both leaders stressed that it was important to ensure close coordination among allies on the matter, Seibert said, adding: "The common objective is to avoid a military escalation and to reach a peaceful solution."