He told reporters at Fort Knox, Kentucky that the North Korean missile flew much farther than in previous tests.
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“I do think that the impact of these provocations will be to only strengthen the resolve of the worldwide community that has such serious concerns with North Korea’s behavior”, White House spokesman Josh Ernest told reporters.
“These and other North Korean missile launches are violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions that expressly prohibit North Korea’s use of ballistic missile technology”, Cook said at a regular press briefing.
The Musudan missile, with an estimated range of some 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers, could theoretically reach any target in Japan and fly as far as the USA territory of Guam.
Refuting the contention in the United Nations report, Swarup said: “We believe that these courses are unlikely to contribute in any way to a violation of the various United Nations sanctions against North Korea”.
On Tuesday, the US Strategic Command confirmed two North Korean missile launches over the Sea of Japan.
KCNA said the missile had been fired at a high angle to simulate its full range, and had reached a maximum height of more than 1,400km.
The launch was condemned by the worldwide community and the UN Security Council met for closed-door consultations on how best to respond.
The North’s rebuttal, carried by the state-run KCNA news agency, also blamed the United States for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula – and reiterated Pyongyang’s consistent argument that it is developing weapons as a defensive measure.
He also said the three countries noted the North’s provocations would only strengthen the resolve of the global community.
After Pyongyang conducted a fourth nuclear test on Jan 6, followed by a long-range rocket launch on Feb 7, the Security Council adopted its most punishing sanctions yet against North Korea.
“If we do nothing, this ends in a successful flight test of the Musudan-based KN-08”, Lewis said.
The report also emphasized that the security of surrounding countries was not compromised, in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s description of the North as a “responsible” nuclear weapons state.
Pyongyang’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper referred to the anniversary by highlighting the North’s rise to become “a powerful nuclear state”.
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The global outcry suggests North Korea could face renewed sanctions, either on a unilateral level or from the United Nations.
