Following the UN decision to grant a sanctions exemption for an inter-Korean rail survey, the U.S. State Department has reiterated that Washington and Seoul are committed to a unified response regarding North Korea. 

In a written interview with Seoul-based Yonhap News on Friday, a department official said the "United States and its ally the Republic of Korea are committed to close coordination on their unified response to North Korea."

The official said the U.S. and its allies are committed to the same goal — the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, as agreed to by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The spokesperson said Washington's focus right now is to make nuclear negotiations with North Korea successful.

South Korea and the U.S. held their first working group meeting in Washington on Tuesday. The working group was launched to coordinate the allies’ stances on the North Korea issue.

Following the meeting, South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Lee Do-hoon, said Washington had expressed its "strong support" for the inter-Korean rail survey.