Cook said an eventual THAAD deployment would be operated by U.S. forces in South Korea.
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North Korea said the rocket successfully put an Earth observation satellite into orbit on Sunday as part of its space development program.
Also Tuesday, Park held a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the two leaders agreed to cooperate for a United Nations resolution to make North Korea pay the corresponding price for its nuclear and missile tests.
The Pentagon said Monday that talks with South Korea to discuss the possibility of moving a terminal high-altitude area defense, or THAAD system, would begin in days.
Sunday’s rocket launch was evaluated to have a range of roughly 7,400 miles if it were used as a missile, the ministry said, a slight increase from the rocket fired in 2012, which had an assumed range of roughly 6,214 miles.
India on Monday expressed “deep concern” over North Korea launching a long-range rocket carrying what it called a satellite but what its neighbours and the USA suspect was a long-range missile.
North Korea launched a long-range rocket that it said carried communication satellite Kwangmyongsong-4, named after late leader Kim Jong Il, on Sunday morning.
North Korea says it has a sovereign right to pursue a space programme.
“North Korea continues to develop their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and it is the responsibility of our alliance to maintain a strong defense against those threats”, Scaparrotti said in the statement.
It comes just weeks after Pyongyang claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb, despite being under United Nations sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006.
The United States and South Korea signaled new interest in exploring the installation of a sophisticated USA antimissile system – a step that Seoul had previously resisted under pressure from China.
However, North Korea’s only ally in the Security Council – China – fears that too severe a sanctions regimen will destabilize North Korea and the region.
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They reaffirmed that a clear threat to worldwide peace and security continue6 to exist, especially in the context of the nuclear test.
