The White House has said that Washington did not believe North Korea had the capability to deploy a nuclear-armed missile.
"First of all, I want to be clear that North Korea has not demonstrated the capability to deploy a nuclear-armed missile," White House spokesman Jay Carney Friday told reporters at a briefing.
But he noted that the US continued to closely monitor North Korea's nuclear program, reported Xinhua.
Carney once again called upon Pyongyang to honour its international obligations.
"We have responded to the series of provocative actions, as well as the stepped-up bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang, by taking a series of prudent measures to ensure that our homeland and our allies are defended," he said, citing the step of enhancing the missile defense system.
On Thursday, US Representative Doug Lamborn said at a hearing that intelligence indicated North Korea might have acquired the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead with its ballistic missile.
Tensions have been heightened on the Korean Peninsula since North Korea conducted its third nuclear test Feb 12 in protest against joint military drills between South Korea and the US.
"First of all, I want to be clear that North Korea has not demonstrated the capability to deploy a nuclear-armed missile," White House spokesman Jay Carney Friday told reporters at a briefing.
But he noted that the US continued to closely monitor North Korea's nuclear program, reported Xinhua.
Carney once again called upon Pyongyang to honour its international obligations.
"We have responded to the series of provocative actions, as well as the stepped-up bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang, by taking a series of prudent measures to ensure that our homeland and our allies are defended," he said, citing the step of enhancing the missile defense system.
On Thursday, US Representative Doug Lamborn said at a hearing that intelligence indicated North Korea might have acquired the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead with its ballistic missile.
Tensions have been heightened on the Korean Peninsula since North Korea conducted its third nuclear test Feb 12 in protest against joint military drills between South Korea and the US.