The Defense Department remains unconvinced that North Korea now possesses a medium-range nuclear weapon, but Pentagon leaders are still treating the claim as a viable threat.
Department spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters on Wednesday that department officials have yet to see any viable proof that Pyongyang has medium-range nuclear weapons in its arsenal.
However, Davis did say that despite that lack of proof, U.S. and allied forces in the region cannot afford to dismiss North Korea’s claims outright, Fox News reports.
To address the potential threat, he reiterated the current U.S. anti-ballistic missile system in the Pacific represented a bulwark against any advances North Korea may or may not have made within their nuclear arsenal.
Davis’ comments come a day after South Korean officials alleged Pyongyang had successfully mounted a nuclear warhead on a missile capable of reaching Seoul as well as other allied countries in the region, according to the Washington Post.
Tensions in the Pacific have heated up over the last several weeks, spurred on by a slew of nuclear and long-range missile tests conducted by North Korea earlier this year.
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