Although the US government strongly condemned North Korea's missile provocation the day before on the 25th (local time), the US government said that it has not changed its position on humanitarian aid to North Korea in response to the spread of Corona 19.
Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for South Korea and Japan at the US State Department, said at a briefing on the same day that North Korea fired 23 ballistic missiles this year, including yesterday's launch.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Lambert told the news that US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln, Foreign Minister Park Jin, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi had a phone call, and said, "These three ministers all condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch as a clear violation of the UN Security Council."
"North Korea's continued provocations are a threat to the peace and security of all countries and the region," he said.
North Korea fired three ballistic missiles, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), into the East Sea the day before President Joe Biden returned home from a trip to South Korea and Japan.
President Biden was informed of the missile launch prior to his arrival at the White House, and the State Department subsequently condemned the missile launch in a statement from North Korea.
Regarding the impact of the provocation on humanitarian aid, including a vaccine against COVID-19 to North Korea, Deputy Assistant Secretary Lambert said, "We are wary of the serious spread of COVID-19 in North Korea and are concerned about the impact it will have on North Korea's poor economy."
"The United States has always kept the issue of humanitarian aid and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula separate," he said. "We strongly encourage and support international relief efforts."
"The United States is open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions on any matter," said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lambert.
When asked about the change in the posture of extended deterrence between South Korea and the United States due to the possibility of North Korea's seventh nuclear test, he said, "There was discussion about extending deterrence during President Biden's tour. are doing,” he said.
Regarding North Korea's intentions to provoke, he said, "I don't deal directly with the North Korean issue, but I've learned enough to know that it's not a wise game to anticipate what North Korea will do or analyze its intentions too deeply." .
When asked if the Biden administration's use of the phrase 'denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula', while South Korea's use of the term 'North Korea's denuclearization' because it was concerned about the possibility of neutralizing the US nuclear umbrella, reflected the difference of opinion between the two sides, he replied, "That's too far-fetched. " he drew a line.
"We are fully aligned with our strategic goals of deterrence of expansion and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lambert.
Meanwhile, he said, "The Korea-US summit confirmed cooperation in security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. It has been reconfirmed.”
"The two leaders reaffirmed the achievement of the common goal of deepening the ROK-U.S. alliance in extended deterrence and the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he added. .