Biden: North Korea missile launches violate UN order

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Joe Biden addressed a litany of foreign and domestic crises facing the US during his first news conference, warning North Korea against conducting further ballistic missile tests.

The stern rebuke came after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan Wednesday Washington time, which Biden said are violations of a UN resolution that prohibits North Korea from developing the weapons.

"We are consulting with our allies and partners, and there will be responses if they choose to escalate," said the US president. "We will respond accordingly. But I’m also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned on the end result of denuclearization.”

Biden agreed when he was asked if he thought North Korea is the most pressing foreign policy challenge facing the US.