U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has expressed concern about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but stressed the U.S.' will to resolve North Korean issues with diplomacy. 

Austin issued the position on Thursday in written testimony to the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. 

The secretary said that Pyongyang continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, posing an "increasing threat" to regional allies and partners and has ambitions to be able to strike the U.S. homeland.

Austin said that the U.S. will lead with diplomacy, but continue to work toward mitigating North Korea’s “destabilizing and provocative behavior” and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said in written testimony that North Korea continues to enhance its ballistic missile capability and possesses the technical capacity to present a "real danger" to the U.S. homeland as well as the U.S.' allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific.

He said that the North is showing no signs of giving up its efforts to bolster its military capacity.