N. Korean missile test destabilizes region and world: State Dept.

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- The recent missile test by North Korea highlights the destabilizing impact of Pyongyang's illicit weapons program, state department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday.

Price also urged North Korea to refrain from further provocations and instead engage in dialogue.

"The launch does highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's illicit weapons program," the spokesperson said in a telephonic press briefing, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea launched what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Wednesday (Seoul time). Pyongyang claimed to have successfully test fired a "newly developed hypersonic missile" the following day.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command earlier said the missile launch did not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. or its allies in the region.

However, a state department spokesperson later told Yonhap while speaking on condition of anonymity that the U.S. was assessing the "specific nature" of the launch when asked if the test did in fact involve a hypersonic missile.

Price pointed out the missile launch violated multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, and thus "poses a threat to the DPRK's neighbors and the international community."

"And that's why we call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue," he said.

The department spokesperson said the U.S. was in close consultation with its allies to decide their next step when asked if the U.S. planned to call for a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss the latest missile provocation.

North Korea has staged nearly a dozen missile tests since early last year when President Joe Biden took office while ignoring all U.S. overtures for dialogue during the entire period.

U.S.-North Korea dialogue was last held in late 2019.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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