White House Vows to Continue Ramping Up Pressure on N Korea to Denuclearize

The United States will continue to ramp up pressure on North Korea by working with the Chinese government and other international partners to get Pyongyang to stop its provocative actions and denuclearize the Korean peninsula, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The White House spokesperson adding that Washington would continue to "make clear that the path that North Korea must choose to rejoin the international community is one that involves them committing to denuclearize the Korean peninsula and come into compliance with their international obligations."

"We're going to continue to ramp up the pressure on the North Korean regime, we’re going to continue to work closely with the Chinese government that has more influence with the north Korean government than any other country in the world," Earnest said during a press briefing.

In recent weeks, reports have emerged that North Korea is preparing for a fifth nuclear test. When asked if the White House could confirm these reports, Earnest said that at the moment, the administration had no new assessment to share.

Recently, North Korea has been carrying out a series of nuclear tests. In response to Pyongyang’s actions, Washington and Seoul launched large-scale military drills in the region, while the UN Security Council and the United States both imposed more sanctions on the country.