The U.S. State Department has confirmed that a recent statement made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in regards to North Korea is indeed the official position taken by Washington. Clinton said Thursday while on a flight to Seoul that the North may soon face a succession crisis in the event of the death of its leader Kim Jong-il, who is believed to have suffered a stroke last year.

Department deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid made the confirmation Thursday after being asked if the U.S. government has noticed any changes in the leadership of North Korea.

He stressed the department has said many times that the leadership issue and the North’s decision-making process are both very unclear and that it’s difficult for Washington to judge the situation without any direct contact with the regime.

Clinton’s comments were a rare public acknowledgment from a senior U.S. official that the communist nation may be preparing for a leadership change.

Meanwhile, in regard to recent analysis suggesting the North could possibly attempt to test a long-range missile, Clinton was quoted as saying there are internationally agreed upon requirements for launches of any type, for any nation, including North Korea. Pyongyang is standing firm on its position that the launch is part of its developing space program.

Duguid also stressed that U.N. Security Council resolutions apply to all types of missile launches.