WASHINGTON: According to a US State Department spokesperson, North Korea may be planning a nuclear test as soon as this month.

 US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter said on Friday that the US has shared the information with allies and partners. "The US believes the DPRK is prepping its Punggye-ri test site and may be ready to conduct its seventh test there as soon as this month," she said in a telephonic press briefing.

The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK. The North looked to be reconstructing underground tunnels at Punggye-ri that was supposedly removed in 2018 as a demonstration of its willingness to denuclearize, according to previous reports.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests, all of which have taken place in Punggye-ri. The latest test took place in September 2017. The assessment, according to Porter, is "compatible" with Pyongyang's previous public pronouncements.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stated that the country will continue to enhance its nuclear weapons and, if necessary, will use them to deter aggression. "We've shared this intelligence with our allies and partners, and we'll continue to work closely with them," Porter said.

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