U.S. condemns N. Korea's missile launch, urges Pyongyang to engage in dialogue

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- The United States condemns North Korea's latest missile launch but continues to remain open to dialogue with Pyongyang, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday.

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile on Wednesday (Seoul time), bringing up to 60 the total number of ballistic missiles it fired this year.

"The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launch," the department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in an email, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"This launch is in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions unanimously adopted by the council and threaten peace and stability in the region," the spokesperson added.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command earlier said in a released statement that the North's latest missile launch did not pose any immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies in the region.

Wednesday's missile launch came amid joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises.

Pyongyang launched nearly three dozen missiles over a four-day period last week in protest against the allies' joint air drills, called Vigilant Storm.

The state department spokesperson said the U.S. continues to remain open to dialogue.

"We continue to seek serious and sustained dialogue with the DPRK, but the DPRK refuses to engage."

The official also reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the security of South Korea, saying, "Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad."

bdk@yna.co.kr
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