US dismisses North Korean missile launches as Biden says he’s open to talks

Biden officials say the two short-range test-fires launched over the weekend were not covered by UN Security Council resolutions

Senior Biden administration officials are playing down North Korean short-range missile launches last weekend, and saying the US president is still open to a dialogue with North Korea.

Officials, who briefed reporters on the missile launches, said on Tuesday that they were on the low end of the spectrum and not covered by various UN security council resolutions. They said the Biden administration was close to a conclusion of its policy review of North Korea and that the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, will discuss it next week with his counterparts in Japan and South Korea.