The United States has condemned North Korea for Sunday’s short-range ballistic missile launch.

A spokesperson of the U.S. State Department denounced the latest launch as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that poses a threat to the North’s neighbors and undermines security in the region.

The spokesperson said, however, that the U.S. remains committed to a diplomatic approach toward North Korea and urges Pyongyang to engage in dialogue, while also reaffirming Washington's ironclad defense commitments to South Korea and Japan.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees U.S. forces in South Korea, also said in a separate statement that it is aware of the ballistic missile launch and is closely consulting with its allies.

These remarks came after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile at about 10:38 p.m. Sunday that South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said was fired from an area near Pyongyang and flew some 570 kilometers before falling into the East Sea.

[Photo : YONHAP News]