The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired two short-range missiles over the weekend, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, terming the test as normal military activity.
They were short-range, non-ballistic missile systems that do not fall under UN Security Council resolutions banning more threatening weapons, a senior U.S. administration official told reporters.
The site of a strike drill of defense units of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), May 5, 2019. /Xinhua
"What we saw this weekend does not fall in that category. ... It is common practice for North Korea (DPRK) to test various systems," the official said. "We do not respond to every kind of test."
The development came just days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to discuss their alliance and security issues in the region. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is finalizing a strategy to restart talks, which the White House will discuss with the ROK and Japan's security officials next week, the official said.
"We have taken efforts and we will continue to take efforts" to communicate, the official said.
Their visit also followed joint exercises by the U.S. and ROK defense forces from March 8-17.
Biden said on Tuesday that the DPRK's move to test-fire two short-range missiles over the weekend shows that little has changed about the government in Pyongyang.
"We have learned that nothing much has changed," Biden told reporters in response to a question about the missile test.
(With input from agencies)