US condemns North Korea's rocket launch and warns of increasing isolation

North Korean military spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched in this picture carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang, Nov. 21, 2023. Yonhap

The United States condemned North Korea's botched space rocket launch as a breach of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Monday, vowing to send a "strong" signal to the recalcitrant regime that its actions will only intensify its isolation.

The North said that it launched a new rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite from a launching site on its northwest coast on Monday, but the launch failed due to the air blast of the rocket during the first-stage flight.

"The United States condemns the DPRK's May 27 launch, which incorporated technologies that are directly related to the DPRK's ballistic missile program and took place in violation of multiple UNSC resolutions," a State Department spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

U.S. Senior Official for North Korea Jung Pak has been in close consultation with her South Korean and Japanese counterparts regarding the launch, the spokesperson noted.

"We will continue to work with the international community to send a strong signal to the DPRK that its actions will only intensify its isolation as it undermines stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," the spokesperson said.

"We urge all countries to condemn the DPRK's unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs and press the DPRK to engage in serious dialogue. Our commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad," the official added. WMD is short for weapons of mass destruction.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command also issued criticism of the North's latest launch.

"We are aware of the DPRK's May 27 launch using ballistic missile technology, which, is a brazen violation of multiple unanimous UN Security Council resolutions, raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond," the command said in a statement.

"We are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners," it added.

The North has planned to launch three more satellites this year. In November, it successfully put its first military spy satellite into orbit.

The botched launch came amid speculation that deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow might have helped the North advance its weapons and other military programs. (Yonhap)