WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Barack Obama has labeled the possible launch of a ballistic missile from a North Korean submarine a "provocative" act.
"What is clear is that North Korea continues to engage in continuous provocative behavior, that they have been actively pursuing a nuclear program, an ability to launch nuclear weapons. And although more often than not they fail in many of these tests, they gain knowledge each time they engage in these tests," Obama said at a Sunday press conference in the German city of Hannover, broadcast by the US TV channels.
Washington cooperates with Beijing to put pressure on Pyongyang in reference to the missile tests, he added.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in early January and put a satellite into orbit a month later, violating UN Security Council resolutions and triggering condemnation from the international community.
