The U.S. State Department has again called for dialogue with North Korea while urging the implementation of global sanctions on the regime.

In a Monday press briefing ahead of the UN General Assembly, senior bureau official of the department's Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Erica Barks-Ruggles, said the U.S. has condemned North Korea's missile launch as a violation of Security Council resolutions.

But she said Washington remains absolutely committed to a diplomatic approach and has and will continue to call on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue. 

The official assured that U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan is ironclad. On sanctions, she said that UN sanctions remain in place and the U.S. will continue to enforce them, and urge others to enforce them robustly.

Regarding meetings during the UN assembly, she said a meeting is scheduled with South Korea and Japan and the U.S. looks forward to discussing regional security issues, including North Korea. 

Meanwhile the U.S. Defense Department has stressed a mutually complementary defense posture with Seoul following its successful test of a domestically developed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday that there is no stronger ally than South Korea and the two sides continue to work closely to ensure complementary military capabilities.