South Korea's top nuclear envoy Kim Gunn held telephone discussions with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts on Thursday after North Korea resumed its missile launch in a little over a week.
 
Seoul’s foreign ministry said Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim held separate telephone conferences with Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi after the North fired off a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea Thursday, marking its first launch since November 9.
 
During the talks, the envoys strongly condemned the latest launch, saying that the North is attempting to put the blame on others for aggravated tensions. 
 
The envoys underscored that North Korean provocations that run counter to the UN Security Council resolutions cannot be justified under any circumstance.
 
North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea about one hour and 40 minutes after its top diplomat Choe Son-hui issued a statement warning of  "more violent" military measures in response to South Korea, the U.S. and Japan's pledge to work toward a stronger U.S. extended deterrence.