This was |
It was
The BBC's Caroline Gluck in
But, she adds, the move is an attempt to put pressure on the
Japan's foreign ministry said North Korea had fired a land-to-ship missile towards the Sea of Japan at about 1200 local time (0300 GMT), but played down the significance of the move.
"We understand this was not a ballistic missile and therefore is not considered a direct threat to
The test launch came shortly after
US Secretary of State Colin Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice both said on Sunday that multilateral talks would be more productive.
The accusation came as US and South Korean troops conducted joint military exercises near the North Korean border.
No bilateral talks
Mr Powell said talks had to involve other countries in the region.
"I think eventually we will be talking to North Korea, but we're not going to simply fall into what I believe is a bad practice of saying the only way you can talk to us is directly," he said on US television.
Previous bilateral negotiations with
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"This time we want a better solution. We want a solution that involves all the countries in the region, and I hope
"Within that broader dialogue, we'll be talking to the North Koreans."
In a separate television interview, Ms Rice said
Ms Rice likewise insisted collective negotiations were a must.
"We have to bring the weight of the international community, in a multilateral fashion, to deal with the North Korean threat, so that the North Koreans know that there is no way out," Ms Rice told ABC.
She dismissed the suggestion that direct bilateral negotiations between