Miller also said the Trump administration will "reinforce and strengthen our vital alliances in the Pacific region as part of our strategy to deter and prevent the increasing hostility that we've seen in recent years from the North Korean regime."

"More broadly, as you know, we're inheriting a situation around the world today that is deeply troubling -- the situation in North Korea, the situation in Iraq, the situation in Syria, the situation in Yemen," he said.

The North's missile launch, which took place Sunday morning (local time), came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened last month to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile, apparently capable of striking the US.

Officials at South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the North's missile, which flew about 500 kilometers, appears to be either an intermediate-range Musudan or the medium-range Nodong missile, not an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The U.S. Strategic Command also confirmed the North's launch, saying it detected and tracked what appears to be either a medium- or intermediate-range ballistic missile, and the missile posed no threats to North America.

Trump and Abe spent time together at Trump's resort after a summit at the White House on Friday.

After the talks, Trump said the two sides agreed to work closely together to cope with the nuclear and missile threats from the North. He also said defending against the North's threats is a "very very high priority."

The two sides also issued a joint statement strongly urging the North to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and not to take any further provocative actions. They also reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement UN sanctions on Pyongyang. (Yonhap)