U.S. calls North Korea missile launch 'dangerous'; Blinken holds calls with South Korea, Japan
The Hindu
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken along with the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea “strongly condemned” North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile over Japan
The United States condemned North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile over Japan as "dangerous and reckless" and pledged to defend South Korea and Japan with all America's power, but said it remained open to dialogue with Pyongyang.
"This action is destabilizing and shows the DPRK’s blatant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions and international safety norms," White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in statement, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.
She said U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts to discuss "appropriate and robust joint and international responses."
Mr. Sullivan reinforced the "ironclad" U.S. commitments to the defense of Japan and South Korea and said Washington would continue efforts to limit North Korea's ability to advance its prohibited weapons programs.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken along with the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea “strongly condemned” North Korea’s firing of a ballistic missile over Japan, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
The trio also condemned North Korea’s disregard of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and its deeply destabilizing implications for the region, spokesperson Ned Price said.
Mr. Blinken emphasized that the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan remained “ironclad,” and reaffirmed the importance of close trilateral cooperation to hold North Korea “accountable for its unacceptable behavior,” the statement added.
