South Korea strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches on Monday, saying that the firings constitute an act of grave provocation to not just the South but also to neighboring countries and the international community.

In a statement issued under the name of Foreign Ministry Spokesman Cho June-hyuck, the government said Pyongyang would gain nothing from the provocations and that such actions will only strengthen South Korea and the international community’s sanctions and pressure against the North’s nuclear program.

A senior U.S. official attending the G-20 summit in China also said that the North’s missile launches are a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to civilian aircraft and vessels.

U.S. officials said Washington is consulting with its allies to discuss proper responses and to present the issue at the United Nations. They added that the U.S. will raise the issue at the East Asia Summit set to open on Tuesday in Laos.