Politics

At G-7, Trump says he is not happy about North Korea missile tests

Key Points
  • President Donald Trump said Sunday he was not happy after North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles over the weekend.
  • "I'm not happy about it but again he's not in violation of any agreement," Trump said when asked about the recent string of tests at the Group of 7 in Biarritz, France.
  • Under the third-generation North Korean leader, the reclusive state has conducted its most powerful nuclear test, launched its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile and threatened to send missiles into the waters near the U.S. territory of Guam.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the G7 summit on August 25, 2019 in Biarritz, France.
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ, France — President Donald Trump said Sunday he was not happy after North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles over the weekend but also downplayed the series of tests.

"I'm not happy about it but again he's not in violation of any agreement," Trump said when asked about the recent string of tests during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Group of 7 in Biarritz, France.

"I discussed long-range ballistic and that he cannot do and he hasn't been doing it and he hasn't been doing nuclear testing. He has done short-range, much more standard missiles, a lot of people are testing those missiles, not just him. We are in the world of missiles folks, whether you like it or not," he added.

Trump's comments came on the heels of what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles launched from North Korea's east coast. Saturday's launch is the latest in a series of tests in recent weeks amid stalled denuclearization talks.

"Our position is very clear, the launch of the short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea clearly violates the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," Abe said.

North Korea, the only nation to have tested nuclear weapons this century, spent most of Trump's first year in office perfecting its nuclear arsenal. The newest member of the world's exclusive nuclear weapons club has stopped testing of its nukes for now as the U.S. and international community offer the possibility of relief from crippling economic sanctions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang July 5, 2017.

Under the third-generation North Korean leader, the reclusive state has conducted its most powerful nuclear test, launched its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile and threatened to send missiles into the waters near the U.S. territory of Guam.

Since 2011, Kim has fired more than 90 missiles and had four nuclear weapons tests, which is more than what his father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung, launched over a period of 27 years.