On Sunday, the United States urged North Korea to end its "counterproductive" missile testing, saying it hopes Pyongyang will respond positively to Washington's call for dialogue.
North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Tuesday, prompting an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Read also Emergency meeting Wednesday of the UN Security Council on North Korea
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim met with his southern counterpart Noh Kyu-duk after a meeting with their Japanese counterpart in Washington.
He called Tuesday's launch a "provocation" and urged Pyongyang to end its "worrying and counterproductive" missile testing.
“We hope the People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) responds positively to our outreach efforts,” Sung Kim told reporters in Seoul, using the official acronyms used by North Korea.
Tuesday's launch is the latest in a series of weapons tests North Korea recently carried out, including a long-range cruise missile, a train-launched weapon and what it said was a hypersonic warhead. .
Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blamed the United States for the sanctions, dismissing Washington's claims that the United States has no hostile intentions.
Sung Kim met with then-sitting US President Donald Trump three times, but the two failed to agree on a deal ending North Korea's nuclear program.
Talks have been at a standstill since the failure of the Hanoi summit in early 2019. President Joe Biden has vowed to continue exploring the diplomatic path, but with a more low-key approach, looking for areas of progress.
