The White House issued a statement on Wednesday, expressing its strong condemnation of the latest ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

The statement said that the launch was a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and posed a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.

The statement also reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to defend its allies and partners in the region, including South Korea and Japan, against any provocation or attack by North Korea.

The statement called on North Korea to refrain from further provocations and engage in meaningful dialogue with the international community on denuclearization. The statement came after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, according to South Korea’s military.

The launch was the first by North Korea since October last year, when it tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile. The launch also coincided with the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Seoul, where they held talks with their South Korean counterparts on the alliance and the North Korean issue.

The U.S. officials also met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and expressed their solidarity and support for his efforts to revive diplomacy with North Korea.

The U.S. has been conducting a policy review on North Korea since President Joe Biden took office in January, and is expected to announce its new approach in the coming weeks. The Biden administration has said that it is open to diplomacy with North Korea, but also ready to respond to any threat or provocation.