N. Korea 'top priority' after missile tests: Biden

N. Korea 'top priority' after missile tests: Biden

Hours after North Korea claimed to have resumed testing its nuclear missiles, specifically a 'newly-developed' projectile, U.S. President Joe Biden made Pyongyang the top priority on his foreign policy agenda.

Jayson Albano reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden propelled North Korea to the top of his overseas agenda on Friday (HKT), hours after Pyongyang claimed it had resumed testing its nuclear missiles.

"Former President Obama warned the incoming President Trump that North Korea was the top foreign policy issue that he was watching.

Is that how you assess the crisis in North Korea?" "Yes." Biden was speaking to reporters in the White House in his first conference since taking office.

North Korea said Friday it launched what it says is a 'new type of tactical guided missile'.

State media KCNA released photos of what appears to be from two launches detected the day before.

It's the first such test conducted in almost a year, and since Biden took office.

It also highlights a progressing weapons program, after talks of denuclearisation broke down under the Trump administration.

Washington has condemned the recent launches, and said it is in the final stages of a policy review.

"We're consulting with our allies and partners and there will be responses.

If they choose to escalate, we will respond accordingly.

But I'm also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearization." At Washington's request, the UN's sanctions committee on North Korea will also meet to discuss the tests, which are a violation of sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

North Korea's claim of tests comes just days after it fired several cruise missiles.

Biden had dismissed those tests, calling it 'business as usual'.