The US repeated its caution to North Korea that launching a nuclear strike on the US would mean “the collapse of the Kim regime.”

A joint declaration by the US-South Korean Nuclear Consultative Group also confirmed that any nuclear assault by Pyongyang on South Korea “will be countered with a quick, powerful, and decisive reaction.”

“The US restated its firm pledge to offer extended deterrence to the ROK (Republic of Korea) supported by the full spectrum of US capabilities including nuclear,” the statement said, which was released by the White House.

US President Joe Biden had given a similar, forceful warning in April, saying that any nuclear attack by North Korea would “result in the demise” of the Pyongyang government.

In May, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cautioned that the North would face the “collapse of the Kim regime” if it launched a nuclear strike on the US or its allies.

North Korea proclaimed itself an “unchangeable” nuclear power last year and has insisted that it will never abandon its nuclear program, which it considers vital for its survival.

And in November, Pyongyang successfully launched a military spy satellite. It has since boasted that its satellite was already capturing images of major US and South Korean military bases.