US condemns North Korean missile launches, urges North Korea to engage in dialogue
People watch news on a TV at Seoul Station in Seoul, Jan. 14, about North Korea's launch of two alleged short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea. Yonhap
The United States condemned North Korea's latest missile launches Friday amid growing tension between the two countries following multiple missile tests by the North during the last week.
North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles Friday afternoon (KST). These short-range missile tests follow on the heels of two separate launches of what Pyongyang claimed to be a new hypersonic missile, Jan. 5 and Tuesday.
"The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launch. This launch is in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council Resolutions and poses a threat to the DPRK's neighbors and the international community," a spokesperson for the Department of State said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and call on them to engage in dialogue. Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad," the official added.
The U.S. earlier said it had proposed additional U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North for its previous two tests this month while also slapping its own sanctions on six North Korean representatives based in Russia and China for illegally procuring materials for Pyongyang's weapons programs.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. will use "every appropriate tool" to address North Korea's ballistic missile programs.
Shortly before the latest missile launch, a spokesperson for the North Korean foreign ministry said the country will be forced to take "stronger and certain reaction" if the U.S. chooses to take a confrontational stance.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the U.S. was working closely with South Korea to maintain their joint defense readiness.
"We're continuing to work very closely with our ROK allies to make sure the alliance remains capable and strong and vibrant," he said in a press briefing, while declining a direct comment on whether the "tool" mentioned earlier by Blinken may include military options.
"And as, I think, we have made clear, we're willing to sit down and talk about these issues with North Korea," he added, noting Pyongyang has so far shown no interest in dialogue.
"From a Department of Defense (DoD) perspective ... we already have security commitments on the peninsula, and so our job here at DoD is to make sure that we are able to meet those commitments to the best of our ability."
Kirby also declined to comment when asked if the latest North Korea missile launch again involved a hypersonic missile.
"We're still conducting an Intel assessment of it. We're not at the point where we're willing and able to go beyond classifying them as ballistic missile launches," he said. (Yonhap)