 North Korea test-fires a tactical missile on January 17, 2022. (Photo: YONHAP/VNA) |
According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke on the phone after Pyongyang said it test-fired two tactical guided missiles Monday, its fourth show of force this month alone. The two diplomats shared their assessments of North Korea's string of missile launches and reaffirmed that they are open to all options to stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula and resume talks with the North at an early date, the ministry said in a release.
In a separate statement, the US State Department said Sherman condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches, which were in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and discussed continued joint efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.