"Following their meeting in Cambodia, President [Joe] Biden and President Yoon [Suk Yeol] tasked their teams to plan for an effective, coordinated response to a range of scenarios, including nuclear use by North Korea and so that is what the teams are working on," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing.
The United States is fully committed to providing extended deterrence to South Korea through the full range of US defense capabilities, Jean-Pierre added.
On Sunday, media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country’s 600-millimeter multiple-launch rocket systems could carry tactical nuclear weapons and all of South Korea is within their reach. Kim, according to media reports, aims to increase the number of North Korea’s nuclear warheads.
North Korea test-fired its first short-range ballistic missile in 2023 on Sunday, launching it toward the Sea of Japan.