U.S. remains committed to working with South Korea to secure peace

Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder speaks during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Thursday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The United States has and will continue to work with South Korea to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday.

"From a [Department of Defense] standpoint, certainly we remain committed to working with the Republic of Korea and our partners in the region to ensure peace, stability and security in the region," Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

His remark also comes amid escalating tension with North Korea, which unsuccessfully launched a space launch vehicle carrying a claimed military reconnaissance satellite late last month.

The allies strongly condemned the failed launch, calling it a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit the North from acquiring or using any long-range missile technologies, including space rockets.

Pyongyang has dismissed the condemnation, saying it will continue to launch space launch vehicles until it succeeds.

Ryder said the United States keeps an "open door when it comes to being willing to talk with North Korea."

"We will continue to work alongside our partners and allies in the region to prevent potential future conflict," he said.

He also added that a nuclear-capable "Ohio-class" submarine will visit South Korea "at some point in the future."

The United States agreed to dispatch a nuclear ballistic missile submarine to South Korea under an agreement signed by U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, dubbed the Washington Declaration, that is designed to bolster U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.

Ryder declined to comment on the specific armament the submarine will be carrying.

Yonhap