By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States continues to closely monitor North Korea for a possible nuclear test, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday.
The spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, said the U.S. is also working closely with its allies in preparation for a potential nuclear test.
"You have heard us say before that we do remain concerned that North Korea is prepared to conduct a seventh nuclear test," the Pentagon spokesperson told a daily press briefing.
"It would certainly be a destabilizing action in the region, and so it's something that we continue to keep a close eye on," Ryder added.
North Korea conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017. However, officials in Seoul and Washington have said that Pyongyang may conduct a nuclear test "at any time," adding it appears to have completed all preparations for a test.
"We will work closely with our partners and our allies in the region to be prepared in that eventuality," Ryder said when asked about U.S. countermeasures in response to a North Korean nuclear test.
Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is seen answering a question during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Jan. 24, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
bdk@yna.co.kr
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