A US military command on Friday reiterated America's readiness to defend its homeland and allies, stressing that North Korea's ballistic missile launch this week underscores the "destabilizing" impact of Pyongyang's actions.
The Indo-Pacific Command released a statement after Pyongyang fired one suspected short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Friday (Korean time).
"We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the command said.
"While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's actions. The US remains ready to defend the US homeland and our allies in the region," it added.
The DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The North's latest missile launch came after Pyongyang warned of proper measures against the latest US sanctions on it.
It last fired short-range ballistic missiles northeastward on Oct. 22 ahead of South Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and US President Donald Trump's visit to the country. (Yonhap)
