U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has spoken with the defense ministers of Japan and South Korea, after a series of missile launches by Pyongyang. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement that the launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea destabilized regional security and violated multiple UN Security Council resolutions. Seoul's defense minister promised to bolster response capabilities based on the U.S. alliance. Suh Wook said the launches posed a "direct and serious threat." The three ministers agreed to hold an in-person meeting in the near future.