Bolton says N.K. missile launches violate UN resolutions, threaten allies

SEOUL. KAZINFORM - U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton has said that North Korea's recent short-range missile launches violate U.N. resolutions and pose threats to South Korea, Japan and American troops in Asia, the Voice of America (VOA) reported.

According to Yonhap, since July 25, the North has launched a series of short-rangeprojectiles, including ballistic missiles, five times to protest the ongoingSouth Korea-U.S. combined military exercise, which it sees as a rehearsal foran invasion.

«Thelatest test of a missile we denominate the KN 23, we think the range couldprobably hit all of South Korea and parts of Japan. That of course wouldendanger our deployed forces as well,» Bolton said in an interview withthe VOA on Wednesday.

The KN 23 is seen as the NorthKorean version of Russia's Iskander surface-to-surface missile with a range ofaround 500 kilometers.

Bolton saidthat though the North's short-range missile tests contravene the U.N.resolutions, they don't break the pledge North Korean leader Kim Jong-un madewith U.S. President Donald Trump -- an indication that Washington still wantsto keep dialogue open with Pyongyang.

The U.S.maintains that the pledge the North Korean leader has made to Trump involves amoratorium only on intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles,not short-range ones.

Touching onthe prospects of dialogue with the North, Bolton expressed hope thatworking-level talks would «begin again soon.»

«Wehaven't had really any substantive negotiations, at the working level withNorth Korea since the president met with Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zonebetween North and South Korea,» he said.

Bolton thensaid the real issue is whether the North will make the «clear strategicdecision to give up its nuclear weapons and its delivery systems.»