Kirby said that the tests would provoke the USA to increase its efforts to stop North Korea’s weapons programme, according to BBC.
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Existing UN Security Council measures ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology.
South Korea condemned North Korea for making another provocation, calling the latest launch a clear violation of existing United Nations resolutions.
The South Korean military said of the two missiles launched, the first is presumed to have ended in failure.
The US and South Korea say the first test failed, but the second travelled about 400km (250 miles) and reached an altitude of 1,000km.
The recent spate of tests suggests that North Korea “must have felt the need to demonstrate the capability of the Musudan to make it a threat to the global community, the United States in particular”, added Dr Paik.
The UN Security Council president condemned nuclear-armed North Korea over its tests of a powerful new medium-range missile on Wednesday, calling for a swift response from the world body.
The Musudan ballistic missile is believed to be capable of reaching the USA territory of Guam. Less than two weeks later, North Korea conducted two more launches. The BBC notes the missile’s range is much further; it’s unclear whether it fell short due to failure or was intentionally kept from reaching Japan.
Power stressed that as North Korea continues testing missiles that could deliver nuclear weapons, “they make progress and they learn things”.
Understanding both capitals’ assessments of the security environment is critical to coordinating defense against the North Korean threat. He also reiterated America’s “ironclad” commitment to the defence of its allies South Korea and Japan. North Korean senior official Ri Su-yong’s visit to China last month also coincided with an attempted Musudan missile launch.
Melissa Hanham, an expert on North Korea’s WMD programme at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said Wednesday’s launches represented a worrying step forward. All of those launches failed.
Mr Kim is said to have personally supervised the test of the ballistic missiles. “The South Korean military is on alert and maintaining a full state of readiness in the event of any North Korean provocations that threaten the peace in the South”.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters such acts “cannot be tolerated”, according to The Japan Times.
Our top story this afternoon North Korea has test-fired two more mid-range ballistic missiles, bringing the total number launched over the past few months to SIX.
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Stressing the need for a united response, he said the USA will stand with its allies, including South Korea and Japan to defend from any attack or provocation.
