The U.S. State Department has condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and urged the country to engage in dialogue.

 A spokesperson from the department issued the position on Sunday in response to an inquiry by Seoul-based Yonhap News regarding the North's launch of an apparent ballistic missile earlier in the day.

The spokesperson said that the launch, like the other launches earlier this year, is a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and demonstrates the threat posed to the North's neighbors and the entire region by its illicit weapons of mass destruction and missile programs.

The spokesperson reiterated that Washington stands with the international community to call on Pyongyang to abide by Security Council resolutions, refrain from further provocations, and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue.

The spokesperson then reaffirmed that the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan remains ironclad.