North Korea's actions dangerous, provocative: US

The actions being taken by the North Korean regime in recent days are "dangerous and provocative" and aggravate tension in an already tense region, the US has said.

"Actions taken by DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) are dangerous and provocative, and their continued threats and provocations merely aggravate tensions in a region that's already tense and further the DPRK's isolation," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

The US remains steadfast in its commitment to the defence of its allies and in close coordination with both South Korea and Japan, he said.

"There are laws on the books regarding these matters. Any nuclear tests or any ballistic missile launches would be significant violations of those laws on the books, and by that I mean UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1718 and 1874," he said.

Carney called on North Korea to comply with its international obligations and to refrain from actions that threaten regional peace and security.

"We obviously see in activity out of the regime in North Korea sort of ebbs and flows in these kind of provocative actions. I'm not predicting where we're headed except to say that what they've done so far is provocative and dangerous," he said.

North Korea had launched two Nodong medium-range ballistic missiles from near its west coast on March 26.

Resolutions 1718 and 1874 require North Korea to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program and to re-establish a moratorium on missile launches.

Resolutions 1874 and 2094 further require the DPRK to stop conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology.