WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The White House said on Monday it hoped the new North Korean leadership would live up to its obligations to end the reclusive state‘s nuclear program, following the death of Kim Jong-il.

“We hope that the new North Korean leadership will take the steps necessary to support peace, prosperity and a better future for the North Korean people including ... acting on its commitments to denuclearization,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

Carney said in the aftermath of Kim’s death from a heart attack on Saturday that Washington did not have any new grounds for concern about Pyongyang‘s stocks of nuclear weapons, over and above its previous warnings about the atomic arsenal.

He also said it was too early to make judgments about what the death of Kim would mean for the future of North Korea, or its relationship with the outside world, including six party nuclear talks.

“It is premature to make assessments of the new leader. We will judge the North Korean government as we always have by its actions and by its actions ... in particular ... regarding denuclearization.

”It does make sense to give this process a little bit of time before we make judgments about the new leadership."