US Condemns North Korea's Missile Launch... Threat to International Community

The United States condemned North Korea's provocations in a series of statements following North Korea's launch of two ballistic missiles into the East Sea on the night of the 24th.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said at a regular briefing on the 24th (local time), "We condemn North Korea's ballistic missile launches," adding, "This violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to neighboring countries and the international community." She continued, "We remain committed to a diplomatic approach toward North Korea" and urged North Korea to engage in dialogue.

On the same day around midnight, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area into the East Sea. Each of North Korea's ballistic missiles flew approximately 400 km before landing in the East Sea. This missile launch came two days after North Korea fired a cruise missile into the West Sea on the 22nd, and five days after it launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea in the early morning of the 19th. This provocation is interpreted as a response to the arrival of the U.S. LA-class nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) USS Annapolis at the Jeju naval base.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also strongly condemned the missile launches at a briefing that day, calling them "multiple violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions." He further urged North Korea to refrain from actions that escalate tensions.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees the Korean Peninsula region, issued a statement saying, "We are aware of North Korea's missile launches and are closely consulting with our allies and partners."

It added, "While we do not assess this launch as an immediate threat to the American people, territory, or allies, it clearly demonstrates that North Korea's illicit weapons programs destabilize the security environment." The Indo-Pacific Command reaffirmed, "The United States' defense commitments to South Korea and Japan remain ironclad."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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