The United States (US) urged North Korea (North Korea) to stop the "provocations". The call comes after North Korea's recent test launch of what indigenous nations call an advanced hypersonic missile.
"We think the DPRK (North Korea) has an obligation to stop this provocation, to show that they are also interested and serious about this dialogue," said US State Department spokesman Ned Price, as quoted by Anadolu Agency, Wednesday (12/1/2022). ).
“And, if they want, they will find willing partners in the United States and our allies. Also to engage in this dialogue," Price continued. According to him, the US did not place any preconditions on the resumption of negotiations with North Korea.
Tuesday's ballistic missile launch was the second of what North Korea says is a newly developed hypersonic missile. South Korea also said it appeared the launch was a hypersonic missile that reached a speed of over Mach 10, or about 7,700 mph (12,400 kph).
Following the launch, South Korea expressed strong regret over the development and asked Pyongyang to respond to its calls for dialogue, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
"North Korea should choose cooperation for peace over actions that go against efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula, such as the latest missile launch, at this critical time to stabilize the political situation around the peninsula," Yonhap quoted South Korea's Unification Ministry as saying.
Earlier this week, the United States and five other countries urged North Korea to end its nuclear program and ballistic missile tests. The US, UK, France, Ireland, Albania and Japan issued a joint statement ahead of a UN Security Council session discussing Pyongyang's latest missile test.
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a written statement on behalf of the six countries, said "North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile on January 5 was a flagrant violation of several Security Council resolutions."
The statement underlined that "North Korea's continued pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs poses a threat to international peace and security."
