Washington, DC -- The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:
Secretary Tillerson spoke on separate calls with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to discuss North Korea’s launch of a missile that overflew Japan.
They agreed the launch was an escalation of North Korean provocations and showcased the dangerous threat posed by North Korea to the United States, Japan, the R.O.K., and countries around the world.
Secretary Tillerson reaffirmed with Ministers Kono and Kang the strength of our alliances with Japan and the R.O.K., as well as the ironclad commitment of the United States to their defense.
Secretary Tillerson agreed with the two ministers to continue close coordination on efforts to increase pressure on North Korea to show the regime that its repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions will only result in condemnation and isolation from the international community.