Cho Hyun-dong, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, said of North Korea's failed launch of a space launch vehicle, "North Korea has said it will conduct a second launch, but any launch will be priced."

At a correspondents' meeting in Washington, DC on 2 March (local time), Ambassador Cho said, "North Korea carried out the launch yesterday following the announcement of its plan to launch a so-called military reconnaissance satellite.

Although it failed due to a technical glitch, the satellite launch was a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, regardless of whether it was successful or not."

"Immediately after the launch, the United States and South Korea communicated at all levels, and both governments issued messages condemning North Korea's launch," Cho said, noting that North Korea's launch "only deepens isolation and strengthens the U.S.-ROK alliance."

Regarding U.S.-ROK relations, he said, "President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit in April marked the 31th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance and provided a blueprint for the ROK-U.S. alliance as a foundation for our freedom and prosperity based on shared values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law."

"On the practical side, through the Washington Declaration, we upgraded the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty and expanded our alliance outreach," he said, adding, "We have strengthened our supply chain cooperation, we have agreed to work closely together on mutual investment, and we have also deepened our cooperation on future food such as semiconductors, digital, and space."

Regarding the possibility of a trilateral summit meeting between the ROK and the United States and Japan in Washington, he explained, "On the issue of President Biden's invitation to the ROK-Japan summit in Washington, we will discuss specific matters between the three countries in the future."