UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The most recent missile launch by North Korea poses a threat to regional security and undermines efforts to establish a dialogue, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Eri Kaneko said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Secretary-General condemns the latest launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in violation of Security Council resolutions. The launch undermines regional security and stability and efforts to create space for dialogue," the statement says.
Earlier in the day, North Korea launched a missile which flew over Japan before falling into the Pacific Ocean 1,180 kilometers (733 miles) east of Hokkaido, a Japanese island. The launch was conducted at 5.57 a.m. local time (21:27 GMT on Monday). The Japanese military said the projectile was likely a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile. The launch was the second in the last few days as on Saturday, North Korea test fired short-range ballistic missiles off the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula.
After that Pyongyang's missile launch, South Korean media reported citing a source that South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration does not rule out that recent short-range missile launches by Pyongyang demonstrate North Korea's readiness for dialogue despite the ongoing US-South Korean drills, criticized by the DPRK.
