▲ U.S. President Donald Trump
A U.S. official stated that the Donald Trump administration is prioritizing the denuclearization of North Korea as a top agenda item.
David Wilezol, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Korea, Japan, and Mongolia, said during a panel at the "U.S.-ROK Strategic Industry and Security Forum," hosted by the public-private policy platform Tri-Forum in Washington D.C. on June 18 (local time), "I think the North Korea issue is very high on the list of policy priorities."
He emphasized, "As would be the case in any administration, the discussions regarding North Korea within our administration are centered on denuclearization."
Wilezol noted, "The fact sheet released after the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping also stated that both countries are committed to the denuclearization of North Korea. The joint statement released at the G7 summit held yesterday also includes a commitment to denuclearization."
He added, "We are also maintaining very close cooperation with South Korea bilaterally and trilaterally including Japan. Statements issued during these consultations will also reflect our shared will for denuclearization. Therefore, regardless of how those efforts are carried out, North Korean denuclearization remains a priority task for us."
Regarding the resumption of dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea, Wilezol said, "We have made it very clear that when Chairman Kim Jong-un is ready to talk, the Trump administration is ready to talk."
However, while emphasizing that the Trump administration's foreign policy stance is "peace through strength," he stated, "I don't know if talks will be held for the time being," adding, "In the meantime, we will continue to pursue 'peace through strength.'"
Wilezol further explained, "This means implementing sanctions that have been proven successful in the past, and working with other countries to address North Korea's cyber threats, dispatch of IT personnel, and cryptocurrency theft to deprive the regime of its revenue sources, and clearly drawing a line against actions that the U.S. and our allies cannot tolerate."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.