Trump speaks with Japanese, South Korean leaders after missile launch

President Trump on Tuesday spoke with leaders from Japan and South Korea after North Korea launched a ballistic missile earlier in the day that landed in the Sea of Japan.

Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed that North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is “undermining its security and further isolating it from the international community,” and they “reaffirmed their commitment to combat the North Korean threat,” the White House said.

In a call between Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the two “reaffirmed their strong condemnation of North Korea’s reckless campaign to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” according to the White House.

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U.S. military officials confirmed that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile on Tuesday, its first such launch since September.

Defense Secretary James Mattis said the latest missile launch flew higher than any of North Korea’s previous attempts.

The missile was fired at dawn, local time, on Wednesday from an area north of Pyongyang and flew east before falling into the Sea of Japan.

President Trump said simply that the U.S. “will handle” the situation in North Korea, adding that his administration’s approach has not changed.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced she will meet Wednesday with her counterparts from Japan and South Korea to further discuss the response to the missile launch.

– This story was updated at 7:37 P.M. EST.