'Alarm' over North Korea

US deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has said that Washington and its allies are 'alarmed' by North Korea's nuclear and missile threats as well as its increasing military support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

But he said he could not confirm Ukrainian claims that Pyongyang was also sending soldiers to fight for Moscow.

Mr Campbell spoke with reporters following discussions with South Korean and Japanese counterparts on reinvigorating an international pressure campaign against North Korea, which faltered in recent years amid a deepening divide at the UN Security Council.

Yesterday, Washington, Seoul and Tokyo announced plans with eight Western governments to launch a new multi-national team to monitor the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea.