Statement by NSC spokesman Adam Hodge on DPRK’s ballistic missile test

The United States strongly condemns the DPRK for testing a long-range ballistic missile. The President’s National Security Team is assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners. This launch represents a brazen violation of several UN Security Council resolutions and unnecessarily increases tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region. This action shows that the DPRK continues to prioritize its illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people. We call on all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to sit down at the table for serious negotiations. The door to diplomacy is not yet closed, but Pyongyang must immediately halt its destabilizing actions and opt for diplomatic engagement instead. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland, as well as the Republic of Korea and Japanese allies.