North Korea Missile Tests Pose Threat to Neighbors, Int'l Community, US State Dept. Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States considers the recent North Korean missile launch to be a threat to the country’s neighbours and the international community, and urges Pyongyang to return to dialogue on denuclearization, a US State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"The United States condemns the DPRK's [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] missile launch. This launch is in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions and poses a threat to the DPRK's neighbours and other members of the international community. We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and call on them to engage in dialogue", the spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement reiterated that the United States remains committed to the defence of South Korea and Japan.

In the early hours of Monday, the Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea had successfully tested a new type of long-range cruise missile over the weekend. The launched long-range cruise missiles flew 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) before hitting their targets.

On Tuesday, high-ranking diplomats from Japan, South Korea and the United States held a trilateral meeting on North Korea in Tokyo. One of the key topics of discussion was a possible response to the North Korean missile tests. The parties agreed to continue cooperation on the denuclearisation of North Korea by combining dialogue with Pyongyang and sanctions pressure.