U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Says North Korea Missile Tests 'Destabilizing'

 

The Hill: Blinken: North Korea missile tests 'profoundly destabilizing' 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said North Korea's successive ballistic missile launches are "profoundly destabilizing." 

The secretary reiterated calls for the regime in Pyongyang to engage in diplomatic discussions with the U.S. with no preconditions. 

North Korea has rejected that position as a nonstarter and called for sanctions relief prior to beginning dialogue. 

"Some months ago, we made clear that we were prepared to engage the North Koreans, to sit down with no preconditions, to see if we could find a way forward with them at the table toward the total denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Blinken said in an interview with MSNBC on Thursday. 

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Update #1: US Secretary of State Blinken says North Korea may be seeking attention with missile launches (The Straits Time)  

Update #2: U.S. focused on consequences for N. Korea's missile tests: Blinken (Yonhap)  

Update #3: Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls North Korea missile tests 'destabilizing' (UPI)  

WNU Editor: North Korea is responding .... N.Korea calls U.S. sanctions 'provocation,' warns of strong reaction (Yonhap).