Days after North Korea fired its first underwater-launched ballistic missile in two years, a top US ambassador on Sunday urged the North to desist from further missile testing and begin nuclear dialogue.
US special representative on North Korea Sung Kim, met his southern counterpart Noh Kyu-duk after a meeting with their Japanese counterpart in Washington.
He called Tuesday’s launch a “provocation” and asked Pyongyang to cease testing missiles that are “concerning and unhelpful.”
The launch on Tuesday was the latest in a string of recent weapons tests by the country, which included a long-range cruise missile, a train-launched weapon, and a hypersonic warhead, according to the country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blamed sanctions on the US earlier this month, dismissing Washington’s claims that it has no hostile intentions.
Former President Donald Trump met with Kim three times, boasting about ending a conflict but failing to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on the country’s nuclear program.
President Joe Biden has stated that he will continue to explore diplomacy, but in a more low-key manner.
