MADRID, 25 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United States warned on Monday that North Korea is “likely” to carry out a nuclear missile test after seeing an escalation in tension in recent weeks, as well as the completion of its Punggye Ri test center.
This was stated in a press conference by the spokesman for the United States Department of State, Ned Price, stressing that Washington has warned of this possibility for several months.
“Our concern about the possibility of another North Korean nuclear test, which would be the seventh, has been constant for a long time (…). This is consistent with North Korea’s own public statements, and it is something we have said for several years. months,” Price said, according to a State Department statement.
The United States Government has announced that it is preparing for all contingencies in close coordination with its partners and allies around the world. Specifically, the Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, is in Japan to discuss with the Japanese and South Korean authorities the “challenge” that Pyongyang poses for the region.
“It will also do so on a trilateral basis, recognizing the importance of trilateral cooperation in this challenge,” Price detailed, assuring that they are prepared to make “short-term and long-term adjustments to our military posture to respond to North Korean provocations.” if required”.
“We have always made it clear that we do not harbor any hostile intent towards Pyongyang. We remain open to dialogue. We remain open to diplomacy. We recognize that diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective way to achieve our overall goal, which is the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” the State Department spokesman said.
However, Price has stressed that the United States’ commitment to the security of its personnel in the region, as well as that of its allies, “is ironclad.”
