U.S. Army: North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch is "Destabilizing"

SadaNews - The U.S. Army announced that it is "closely consulting" with its allies and partners following the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

An American military command statement in the Indo-Pacific region yesterday (Friday) stated: "While our assessment of this event is that it does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory or to our allies, the missile launch demonstrates the destabilizing impact" of North Korea's actions.

The missile launch by Pyongyang, which Japan said fell outside its exclusive economic zone, came about a week after U.S. President Donald Trump visited the region and expressed his desire to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. During his visit, Trump also announced his approval of a plan for South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

Analysts say that the development of a nuclear-powered submarine represents a qualitative leap for South Korea, placing it among a narrow group of countries that possess this technology.

Pyongyang, which has strengthened its ties with Russia after the latter's invasion of Ukraine, did not respond to Trump's offer to meet with Kim.