North Korean authorities launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, on Wednesday, as the United States and South Korea carry out joint military exercises near the Korean Peninsula.
The South Korean military has indicated that it is reviewing details of the launch, which comes more than a month after Pyongyang launched two short-range ballistic missiles, also into the Sea of Japan.
The Government considers that the measure has been taken in retaliation for the joint military exercises, the largest carried out to date by the United States and South Korea in the area, according to information from the Yonhap news agency.
Pyongyang considers that these exercises represent a “simulation of an invasion” of North Korean territory by the allies and has repeatedly condemned them.
For its part, the US government has said it remains open to “dialogue” with North Korea after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un referred to his counterparts Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol as “mafia bosses”, according to a statement from the White House.
“Obviously, we have said many times that the line of communication with North Korea remains open,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean Pierre. “This is something where we still have the same opinion,” she said after Kim accused Biden and Yoon of bringing the Korean peninsula to the brink of a “nuclear war.”
Likewise, the spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, has expressed that the Biden Administration intends to introduce new sanctions against North Korea and Russia in light of the increase in “technical and military” cooperation between the two countries. .
“According to our information, negotiations on arms supplies between Russia and North Korea have made important progress,” he said. According to Washington, representatives of Russia and North Korea constantly discuss possible agreements in the defense sector.
Kirby has also argued that Moscow is seeking “raw materials that will help the Russian military-industrial complex,” as well as a “significant amount” of military assets. “We are taking concrete steps by identifying and imposing sanctions against individuals and entities that facilitate arms deals between these two countries. We will continue to identify, disclose, and stop Russia’s attempts to acquire military assets from North Korea and any other another country,” he assured.
