The White House. [Photo source = Yonhap News]
The United States has condemned North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea and urged North Korea to engage in dialogue.
In a statement on the 30th (local time), Sean Savett, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC), stated, “The United States strongly condemns North Korea’s ICBM test,” and added, “This launch is a blatant violation of several United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
He pointed out, “Although the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has assessed that the launch does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory or to our allies, it risks unnecessarily escalating tensions and destabilizing the security situation in the region.”
He continued, “This launch only shows that North Korea continues to prioritize its illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people,” and urged, “We call on all nations to condemn these violations and for North Korea to stop its destabilizing actions and engage in serious dialogue.”
He also stated, “The national security team is closely coordinating with our allies and partners,” and added, “The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the U.S. mainland and our allies South Korea and Japan.”
Earlier, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile, presumed to be an ICBM, into the East Sea from the Pyongyang area at around 7:10 a.m. on that day.