(LEAD) U.S. condemns N. Korea's ICBM test, calls on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue

▲ People watch a TV report on North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile toward the East Sea at Seoul Station on July 12, 2023. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch from an area in or around Pyongyang at about 10 a.m., and the missile, fired at a lofted angle, flew around 1,000 kilometers before splashing into the water. (Yonhap)

▲ State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller is seen answering questions during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on July 12, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) NK missile-White House

(LEAD) U.S. condemns N. Korea's ICBM test, calls on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from a state department spokesperson, additional information from 11th para; ADDS photo)

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, July 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States on Wednesday condemned North Korea's latest long-range ballistic missile test as a brazen violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, while calling on Pyongyang to engage in serious dialogue.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC) said the U.S. also calls on other countries to condemn North Korea's latest provocation.

"The United States strongly condemns the DPRK for its test of a long-range ballistic missile," NSC spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a released statement, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"This launch is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region," he added.

The South Korean military earlier said the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday (Korea time), its first ICBM test in about three months.

"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,' said Hodge.

North Korea has fired nearly 100 ballistic missiles since last year, including an unprecedented 69 ballistic missiles in 2022, which marked a new record of ballistic missiles launched in a year.

The NSC spokesperson called on North Korea to cease its provocations while reaffirming U.S. commitment to the defense of its allies.

"We urge all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to come to the table for serious negotiations," said the released statement.

"The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and instead choose diplomatic engagement. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies," it added.

State Department Press Secretary Matthew Miller reiterated the need to hold North Korea accountable for its ICBM test.

"I would say that the United States strongly condemns the DPRK for its test of an intercontinental ballistic missile," he said when asked about the North's latest missile test during a daily press briefing, calling it a "brazen violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

He added the U.S. is working closely with its allies and partners to assess the situation in the region.

Meanwhile, the head of South Korea's People Power Party, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, and other members of the ruling party were briefed on the North's latest missile provocation by NSC Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell earlier in the day, according to a party official.

Kim arrived here Monday on a weeklong trip that will also take him to New York and Los Angeles.

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