US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused North Korea on Friday of building a nuclear arsenal to “threaten others with catastrophe.”

Calling the North a threat to global order, Mattis stood inside the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas and pledged solidarity with the South, reported The Associated Press (AP). 

He said the Trump administration remains committed to compelling Pyongyang to accept complete nuclear disarmament.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with you and the Korean people in confronting the threats posed by the [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un regime,” Mattis said as South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo looked on.