Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), the incoming Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, released the following statement condemning North Korea’s missile launch, the regime’s second rocket launch this year:

“Today’s launch is the latest alarming chapter in a decades long story. U.S. policy toward North Korea is a long running failure.

“This new edition of the Kim dynasty has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons program.

“I’ve been calling for a North Korea policy with energy, creativity and focus. Instead, the Obama Administration’s approach continues to be unimaginative and moribund. We can either take a different approach, or watch as the North Korean threat to the region and the U.S. grows,” concluded Royce.

Royce has been a leading voice in Congress on North Korea policy. He is the author of legislation to increase radio broadcasting into North Korea and has focused on North Korean human rights abuses.