The U.S. says the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the ultimate goal of diplomatic efforts to engage North Korea.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told a daily news briefing Friday that the U.S. is seeking the creation of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and a North Korea that is able to play a constructive role in the region.

He added that the U.S. will continue to try to persuade North Korea to move toward those goals.