The White House late Wednesday condemned North Korea’s latest missile launch, warning that it poses major security risks to the region.
“This launch, in addition to the launch of multiple other ballistic missiles this week, is a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
“This action demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people,” Watson added. “We urge all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions and engage in serious dialogue.”
The White House also said President Biden and his team are assessing the situation in coordination with allies like Japan and South Korea.
Late Thursday local time, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the sea, marking at least the fourth missile to be fired that day. North Korea has become increasingly aggressive with its missile tests, firing more than 20 on Wednesday after testing several throughout the month of October.
The most recent launches appeared to come in response to an agreement between the U.S. and South Korea to expand joint military exercises that involve thousands of service members from both countries.
The White House on Wednesday also called out North Korea for allegedly shipping munitions to Russia in a bid to aid Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.