<Anchor>
Amid North Korea's continued armed provocations, the UN Security Council held an open meeting to discuss the North Korean issue.
The meeting was held again a month after the Security Council was convened last month due to North Korea's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
This is Washington correspondent Nam Seung-mo.
<Reporter>
A UN Security Council public meeting was held to discuss the recent North Korean missile provocations.
At today's (5th) meeting in which South Korea and Japan participated as related countries, the West and most of the member countries, including the United States, strongly criticized North Korea's ballistic missile launch as a violation of the Security Council sanctions resolution.
[Linda Thomas-Greenfield/US Ambassador to the United Nations: These provocations go beyond enhancing North Korea's illegal military capabilities, and weaken the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.]
However, the permanent members of the Security Council, China and Russia, launched missiles from North Korea. defended the cause of the US military threat.
[Zhang Jun/Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations: The United States and related countries resumed large-scale joint military exercises involving hundreds of fighters after a five-year hiatus.]
The White House, however, maintained its readiness posture, saying that the nearly daily North Korean provocations threaten regional stability. emphasized.
[John Kirby / White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator: We have maintained the appropriate military capability to operate if necessary.
Like the slogan of USFK, 'they are ready to fight tonight', we take it seriously.]
Also, in an interview hosted by a think tank, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Colin Carle discussed the reduced U.S.-South Korea exercises after North Korea-U.S. dialogue. "We need to get back to normal so we can be prepared for any eventuality," he said.