US Condemns North Korea's ICBM Launch... Urges to Stop Further Provocations and Engage in Dialogue

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Regarding North Korea's launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and others on the 3rd, the United States strongly condemned the action on the 2nd (local time) and urged restraint from further provocations and a return to dialogue.

The White House National Security Council (NSC) issued a statement late in the afternoon under spokesperson Adrienne Watson's name, saying, "The United States condemns North Korea's ICBM announcement," and added, "President Joe Biden and the national security team are closely cooperating with allied and partner countries to assess the situation." It further pointed out, "This launch, in addition to multiple ballistic missile launches by North Korea this week, clearly violates United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, unnecessarily escalates tensions, and risks destabilizing regional security."

The NSC stated, "This action shows that North Korea prioritizes its illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs over the welfare of its people," and "We call on all countries to condemn this action and urge North Korea to cease destabilizing behavior and engage in serious dialogue." It also pledged, "The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the U.S. mainland, South Korea, and Japan."

The U.S. Department of State also issued a separate statement on the same day under spokesperson Ned Price's name, criticizing, "This launch demonstrates that North Korea's illegal WMD and ballistic missiles threaten the peace and security of neighboring countries, the region, the international community, and the international non-proliferation regime." The State Department emphasized, "This action by North Korea underscores the need for all countries to fully implement Security Council resolutions related to North Korea to prevent it from acquiring the necessary technology and materials for such destabilizing tests," and "Together with the international community, we urge North Korea to refrain from further provocations and to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue."

Earlier, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) near South Korea's territorial waters south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea the previous day, followed by the launch of an ICBM presumed to be the Hwasong-17 on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.