Washington, United States

The United States on Wednesday released a statement saying that it "strongly condemns" North Korea's latest ballistic projectile launch and also urged Pyongyang to end its destabilising actions and come to the table for negotiations. 

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"This launch is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region," National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement.

South Korea's military said that North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile in a lofted trajectory from the Pyongyang area at about 10:00 am (0100 GMT).

The missile launch happened after North Korea cautioned the United States to shoot down the spy planes that violated its airspace.

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Also read: North Korea fires suspected long-range ballistic missile, 12th this year

Currently, the relations between both the Korean countries are facing a setback with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling for increased weapon development, including tactical nukes.

The latest test launch "demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people," Hodge said.

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"We urge all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to come to the table for serious negotiations," the spokesman added.

"The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and instead choose diplomatic engagement," he continued, stressing the United States will "take all necessary measures" to ensure its security and that of its allies South Korea and Japan.  

North Korea condemns US for violating airspace

On Monday, North Korea had accused the United States of violating its airspace by carrying out surveillance flights and stated that, even though Pyongyang was exercising restraint, and warned it may shoot down such flights.

It further condemned the plans of Washington of deploying a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula. North Korea's Ministry of National Defence spokesperson said "provocative" flights were flown by US spy aircraft this month, as one reconnaissance plane intruded into the country's airspace over the East Sea "several times".

"There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as the downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea," said the spokesperson in a statement, released by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Pyongyang further released a statement and slammed United States' plan to deploy strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula as "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail" to North Korea which poses a grave threat to global and regional security.

"The present situation clearly proves that the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the US provocative military action," it stated.

"Whether the extreme situation, desired by nobody, is created or not on the Korean peninsula depends on the future action of the US, and if any sudden situation happens ... the US will be held totally accountable for it," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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