South Korea's top envoy to the United States vowed Thursday to ensure that Seoul and Washington maintain the goal of North Korea's denuclearization, after U.S. President Donald Trump described Pyongyang as a "nuclear power" earlier this week.

At first glance, the downfall of conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol might appear to offer North Korean state media czars a propaganda windfall. But, so far, Pyongyang’s coverage of the crisis has been remarkably scant.

North Korea's state media on Wednesday reported U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration but without any commentary on his presidency, but did accuse the United States of committing atrocities during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said Pyongyang has already provided Russia with 120 self-propelled artillery guns and 120 multiple launch rocket systems, with more to come.

John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said of Hegseth's remarks on North Korea's status as a nuclear power: "We've not made such a recognition. I can't speak to what the incoming team will—how they'll characterize it. We've not gone so far as to make that recognition."

Special, virtual guests took centerstage at the Commander-in-Chief Ball, one of several held to mark President Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday in Washington.

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles on Tuesday morning. The launch is the second of the year for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which last did a missile test on Jan. 6, when Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul, South Korea . Tuesday’s rocket launch was first reported by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The soldiers of the Korean People's Army captured from the front lines of the war in Ukraine appeared unwilling to defect from North Korea.

The Budapest Memorandum of December 1994 provided security assurances to Ukraine for giving up their nuclear weapons.

North Korea, fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine in its first major conflict since the Korean War, on Monday adopted its ally’s tone in lambasting warming Japanese ties to NATO.

With the fate of suspended South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol hanging in the balance, the country has also been left facing an uncertain future as it battles through the resulting political turmoil.