Spokesman: US committed to non-nuclear Korean peninsula

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday that the US remained committed to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

In a news conference in Washington, DC, he added that the U.S. and South Korea were jointly seeking improvements in extended deterrence capabilities.

Kirby's comments come after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in an interview with The Associated Press, said North Korea's spike in missile tests, growing nuclear ambitions and other provocative acts posed a “serious threat” that could lead to a dangerous miscalculation and spark a wider conflict.

In a recent newspaper interview, Yoon cited discussions with the U.S. about joint planning potentially involving U.S. nuclear assets.

Asked for further clarity on Tuesday, he said the proposed plans include “tabletop exercises, computer simulations and drills ... on delivery means for nuclear weapons.”