Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, agreed in a phone call with his South Korean counterpart on the need to proceed with the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea after Wednesday's launch.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast on Wednesday, April 5, South Korean officials said, in a continuation of its weapons launches made as the country is angrily reacting to annual military drills between US and South Korean troops.
The comments were made during a White House media briefing on Tuesday, ahead of President Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida this week. "China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won't", Trump told the Financial Times newspaper.
North Korea on Wednesday again fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, South Korean and US military officials said, in a provocation that comes amid annual joint U.S.
North Korea could choose to continue with missile-related activities through next week, when the isolated and impoverished country celebrates the 105th anniversary of the birth of the state's founder, Kim Il Sung.
The move comes at a time of increased tensions as North Korea presses ahead with nuclear and missile programmes which have badly rattled the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea.
The two leaders spoke on the phone for 35 minutes on Thursday morning, a day after North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported.
North Korea fired another ballistic missile yesterday and there are reports of preparations for another nuclear weapons test that could be timed for the U.S. Last year, North Korea test-fired eight Musudan rockets, but only one was considered a success.
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The firing of Gordhan, who was widely considered an effective, honest steward of the economy, further alarmed many South Africans. Insiders who attended the meeting, which lasted several hours on Tuesday night, said the trio were "lambasted" for speaking out.
The Pentagon says Wednesday's test was of an extended-range Scud missile that suffered an in-flight failure before crashing into the sea.
The launch comes on the eve of a visit by China's President Xi Jinping to the USA to meet President Donald Trump.
In February, North Korea successfully tested a land-based version of the KN-11 that also traveled the same distance.
"We believe the missile launch came in consideration of the scheduled US-China summit and gave the North an opportunity to check its missile capability".
US officials have not identified what type of missile was tested on March 21 since it exploded so soon after launch.
While the word count for Tillerson's statement is on the low end, his statement may speak volumes about future US policy towards North Korea.
In response, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson only offered a 23-word statement: "North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile".
North Korea has long fired missiles and detonated nuclear devices during major political events in South Korea and the United States, and before or during regional talks.
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