South Korea and the United States say North Korea might engage in a major provocation, such as a nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, shortly before or after the U.S. presidential election in November. 

Senior officials in both nations made the statement during the fifth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group in Washington on Wednesday. 

After the meeting, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun said in a press briefing that North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities and has also carried out provocative acts, such as disrupting GPS signals and sending trash-filled balloons to South Korea.

The vice minister said South Korea and the United States had discussed possible responses to any such provocations by the North, adding that extended deterrence is the best response to the North’s nuclear weapons. 

But he added that the Seoul government was not advocating the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, or otherwise escalating the nuclear arms race.