The top nuclear negotiators of South Korea and the U.S. have discussed ways to respond to future North Korean provocations amid a flurry of missile launches by Pyongyang in protest against the allies’ combined military exercises.

The foreign ministry in Seoul said South Korea’s top nuclear envoy Kim Gunn held a phone meeting with his American counterpart Sung Kim on Tuesday and discussed Pyongyang’s launch of two short-range ballistic missiles carried out earlier in the day.

The two officials strongly condemned the launches as a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and a provocation that raises tensions in the region.

The officials emphasized the North must realize that it has nothing to gain from such provocations and that there is a price to pay.

With the expectation of more provocations by the North, the envoys agreed to strongly respond to any hostile act based on the firm defense readiness of the Seoul-Washington alliance.

Tuesday’s call comes only a day after the nuclear negotiators talked on the phone to assess conditions on the Korean Peninsula.