The U.S. Defense Department has asserted that deterrence works amid a recent surge in “destabilizing activities” by North Korea that the U.S. will continue to monitor closely.
 
Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder made the remarks in a press briefing on Thursday, hours after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Ryder said that the United States, South Korea and Japan will work together to guarantee stability and security through efforts to counter the North's actions that escalate tensions in the region.

Asked about North Korea’s recent launch as a reaction to the joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S, the spokesperson said that the drills are defensive in nature and intended to deter aggression.

He added that North Korea's reactions to these types of exercises are not only inappropriate, but destabilizing and concerning, before quickly stressing the importance of understanding that "deterrence continues to work."