According to  Western Journal following North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan earlier this week, President Joe Biden has yet to comment. The launch of a projectile was verified by South Korean officials on Thursday, March 25. Last weekend’s launch was followed by this one. The missile launch has elicited no official response from North Korea, and Biden has yet to react in any way. The missile that was fired, according to U.S. officials, was shown at a military parade in January.

The office of the South Korean joint chiefs of staff reported the launches came from North Korea’s South Hamgyong Province early on Thursday, according to NBC News. One missile flew 280 miles and reached a height of 37 miles, according to the office. Officials from South Korea reported that they were “closely monitoring related activities in anticipation of potential additional launches.”

The office said that while maintaining close cooperation with the United States, the South Korean military has increased surveillance and security measures and is planning complete military preparedness. The joint chiefs of staff of South Korea said the country was collaborating with the United States to compile a “detailed report for additional details.”

Next week, senior Biden administration officials are expected to meet with officials from South Korea and Japan to discuss the launches. Both releases, however, came after Biden was openly warned about relations between the two countries by Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, in an inflammatory statement. Kim Yo Jong blasted the Biden administration ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the area earlier this month.

According to The Associated Press, she said that they take this opportunity to alert the new U.S. government, which is attempting to give off a (gun) powder smell in their country. The North Korean official then addressed the Biden administration, sending a not-so-subtle message about the existing ties between the two countries. Yo Jong said, “If it wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step.”

The remarks came after it was widely reported that the Biden administration had failed to establish a communication line with Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital. 

The Associated Press announced that “a senior Biden administration official said Saturday that U.S. officials have attempted to reach out to North Korea via multiple channels since last month but have yet to receive an answer.”

According to Politico, the Biden administration considers North Korea’s ties to be the country’s top foreign policy concern, but has no immediate plans to react directly to any provocation by the nuclear-armed state. On Friday, as for the Pentagon, officials familiar with the talks say military leaders have no immediate plans to react or intensify—whether by increasing joint military drills with South Korea or improving the U.S.’s warning status in the region.

According to the paper, Biden’s strategy is to avoid reacting directly to North Korea for the time being, instead relying on continued pressure from Trump administration-era sanctions against the country.