​The US State Department on April 23 issued a warning and called on North Korea to exercise restraint after reports that the country had just test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine.

Missile test firingfrom a North Korean submarine in 2015 was accused of being the product of cutting and pasting technology - Photo: KCNA

Meanwhile, a source from the South Korean Ministry of Defense said the same day that North Korea's missile test had failed. The missile only flew about 30km towards the Sea of ​​Japan.

AFP on April 23 quoted US State Department spokesman John Kirby as emphasizing: "The ballistic missile test is a blatant violation of a series of UN Security Council Resolutions. The US calls on North Korea to refrain from actions that destabilize the region and take concrete steps to fulfill its international commitments and obligations."

In another related development, in an interview with AP on April 23 at the United Nations headquarters, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong set conditions for the US in exchange for Pyongyang halting nuclear tests. This is a rare time for a North Korean official to give an interview to the Western media.

“The US must stop its hostile policies toward the DPRK, the most concrete manifestation of which is the military exercises on the Korean Peninsula, and we will respond in kind,” Ri Su Yong said. “The US should stop its military exercises on the Korean Peninsula first, and then Pyongyang will also stop its nuclear tests.”

The North Korean foreign minister also called for: "If we continue to confront each other like this, it could lead to very dire consequences, not only for the two countries but also for the whole world."

However, Mr. Ri Su Yong also affirmed that North Korea has the right to develop and possess nuclear weapons for deterrence purposes, and that Pyongyang will not be intimidated by international sanctions.

According to Tuoi Tre