SEOUL – North Korea is fully prepared to conduct its seventh nuclear test and is awaiting a political decision to proceed, a senior US official has said.

Alexandra Bell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to South Korea’s security and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"The United States assesses that the DPRK has prepared its Punggye-ri test site for its potential seventh explosive nuclear test, awaiting only a political decision to move ahead," Bell said during a conference, Yonhap News reported.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s Ministry of National Defense has issued a stern warning to the US, urging it to cease what Pyongyang calls "hostile acts" that are exacerbating regional instability.

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea accused the US of escalating tensions through military provocations, including:

• Deployment of Military Assets: The positioning of the USS George Washington nuclear-powered carrier strike group near the Korean Peninsula.
• Joint Military Drills: Ongoing military exercises conducted by the US in collaboration with South Korea.

"The present grave political and military situation, in which the U.S. military adventurism has crossed the red line on a global scale, foretells that the U.S. moves targeting the DPRK can lead to a real war situation at any time," the ministry stated.

North Korea claimed its military is closely monitoring developments and will act decisively if it perceives any threat to its sovereignty.

"Our armed forces are fully prepared to preemptively neutralize threats and secure strategic objectives," the statement read, signaling a heightened military readiness amid ongoing tensions.

The warning from Pyongyang comes amid a period of heightened military activity on the Korean Peninsula, with both the US and its allies conducting large-scale exercises aimed at countering North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

The Punggye-ri site, where North Korea has conducted all six of its previous nuclear tests, is reportedly ready for another detonation. This test would mark the first since September 2017 and further strain relations between Pyongyang and Washington, which remain frozen despite sporadic calls for dialogue.

Analysts fear that the combination of provocative rhetoric and increased military deployments could risk an unintended escalation, raising tensions in one of the world’s most volatile regions

Courtesy for information to Anadolu Agency