US pushes for talks with North Korea after latest missile launch
The United States has made a direct appeal to North Korea to join direct talks following its latest ballistic missile test which was reportedly its longest such test since 2017.
The missile was launched on Sunday from the North Korean province of Jagang, which borders China, and flew across the North before falling into the sea off the country’s east coast, both the South Korean and Japanese governments reported.
Following the test, a senior Biden administration official said the US is still committed to pursuing a diplomatic path forward with North Korea.
“We believe it is completely appropriate and completely correct to start having some serious discussions,” the official told reporters on Sunday.
The official added the US has not heard from Pyongyang yet regarding a proposal to begin discussions.
The official did not detail how Washington will proceed if talks fail with Pyongyang.
This comes in spite of Washington describing the recent spate of missile tests by North Korea as destabilizing, a threat to US and allied forces in the region and a violation of the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
The latest launch was seen as a step closer to resuming long-range testing.
The missile potentially reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and traveled 800 kilometers (497 miles) before landing in the sea.
The test was North Korea's sixth ballistic missile launch in 2022 and seventh missile test overall.
The US official said “of course we’re concerned” that Pyongyang might end a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing.
“It requires a response,” he said. “You will see us taking some steps that are designed to show our commitment to our allies … and at the same time we reiterate our call for diplomacy. We stand ready and we are very serious about trying to have discussions that address concerns on both sides.”
Last year, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un announced a new five-year plan for developing weapons and issued an ambitious wish list that included hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched nuclear missiles.
Kim has concentrated on expanding his country's nuclear and missile capabilities since his diplomacy with US former president Donald Trump ended without an agreement in 2019. He has rebuffed the Biden administration’s repeated offers over nuclear negotiations.
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