US remains focused on denuclearizing North Korea: Pentagon official

來源: 亞搏體育官網入口app 時間: 2023-01-19 00:26:53

A man watches a TV screen showing a news program with a video of the demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office building in Kaesong, North Korea, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, June 17, 2020. AP

The United States remains focused on denuclearizing North Korea amid Pyongyang's increased provocations against Seoul, a senior Pentagon official said Wednesday.

David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, said the North's recent actions underscored the importance of maintaining a strong readiness posture between Washington and Seoul, with Pyongyang threatening to take military action before suspending such plans on Wednesday.

"Korea remains the hardest of hard targets," he said during a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's hard to determine tactically what North Korea is going to do on a day to day basis, even though I think we'd all agree that strategically, North Korea, particularly under Kim Jong-un, is very predictable and understandable."

Helvey said the Department of Defense has worked to maintain an effective deterrent in support of the diplomatic efforts aimed at the "final and fully verified denuclearization" of the North.

"Our policy, as I've said, remains very much focused on denuclearization," he said. "It's a denuclearization that we believe can only realistically be obtained through a diplomatic process. I mean, that's certainly our strong, strong preference."

Helvey said that while there has been "some progress," it's unclear whether North Korea is committed to the process that will result in a "much brighter future" for its people.