The top nuclear envoys for South Korea, the United States and Japan jointly expressed concerns over North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch and called on Pyongyang to return to dialogue. 

Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk on Tuesday briefed reporters on the outcome of a meeting with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, in Washington earlier in the day. 

Noh said the three sides shared their assessments of the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the launch of what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile. 

He said they all agreed it is very important to stably manage the situation and decided to closely monitor related circumstances and maintain close coordination for a swift resumption of the peace process. 

The U.S. Department of State also issued a release on the talks, saying the nuclear officials held discussions on peninsula-related issues and reaffirmed the promise that the three countries will cooperate on progress toward the joint goal of denuclearization and to ease tension.

The statement added that Kim called on the North "to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue."