David Vizor, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, speaks as a panelist at the 'Korea-U.S. Strategic Industries and Security Forum' hosted by the public-private policy platform T.Forum in Washington D.C. on the 18th (local time). [Yonhap News]

The U.S. administration of Donald Trump is discussing 'North Korean denuclearization' with it placed at a very high priority, a U.S. official said on the 18th (local time).

David Vizor, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said on the 18th (local time) that "I believe the North Korea issue is very high on the policy priority list." He was speaking as a panelist at the 'Korea-U.S. Strategic Industries and Security Forum' hosted by the public-private policy platform T.Forum in Washington D.C.

He emphasized, "As would be the case in any administration, discussions about North Korea in our administration are centered around denuclearization."

Vizor said, "The fact sheet released after the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping also stated that both countries pledged North Korea's denuclearization. The joint statement released at the G7 summit held yesterday also contains a commitment to denuclearization."

He added, "Furthermore, we maintain very close cooperation with South Korea bilaterally, and with Japan, trilaterally. Statements emerging from these consultations will also reflect a common will for denuclearization. Therefore, regardless of how the efforts are made, this (North Korean denuclearization) remains a top priority for us."

Regarding the resumption of dialogue between the United States and North Korea, Vizor stated, "We have made it very clear that if Chairman Kim Jong-un is ready to talk, the Trump administration is also ready to talk."

However, he emphasized that the Trump administration's foreign policy is based on 'peace through strength,' saying, "We do not know if talks will happen anytime soon, and I personally do not know either. In the meantime, we will continue with 'peace through strength'."

Vizor further stated, "This involves implementing sanctions that have at least proven successful in the past, and by working with other countries to counter North Korea's cyber threats, IT worker dispatch, and cryptocurrency theft, we will strip the regime of its revenue sources and draw a clear line regarding actions that the United States and our allies cannot tolerate."

Robert O'Brien, former National Security Advisor to the President during the first Trump administration, speaks as a panelist at the 'Korea-U.S. Strategic Industries and Security Forum' hosted by the public-private policy platform T.Forum in Washington D.C. on the 18th (local time). [Yonhap News]

Robert O'Brien, former National Security Advisor to the President during the first Trump administration, evaluated the issue of transferring wartime operational control (OPCON) being discussed between South Korea and the U.S. by saying, "South Korea's desire to accelerate the timeline is a positive signal. It shows South Korea wants to take another step forward and share the security burden."

He continued, "However, we must proceed in a way that protects our service members stationed there, and at the same time protects the Korean people and Korean soldiers. An hasty transition is not a good transition and does not enhance security. It should be a professional transition by soldiers, not driven by political directives or politically imposed timelines."

O'Brien also emphasized, "We must proceed very carefully and not leave any gaps that China, North Korea, Russia, or other adversarial nations could exploit. I agree with General Brunson's statement that whenever politicians intervene in withdrawals or other matters, a conditions-based approach should be taken, and when it is taken out of the military's professional domain, it tends to get messy."

Vizor stated, "I think former National Security Advisor O'Brien's words about needing to handle this issue properly and approach it thoughtfully and carefully are very accurate. I am confident that we will ultimately reach an agreement on what the final form of OPCON transition will be, and in the meantime, we will heavily rely on the opinions of the U.S. military."

In addition, Vizor referred to the joint fact sheet resulting from the South Korea-U.S. summit held in October last year, stating, "One of the clauses was that there would be no discriminatory treatment of U.S. companies in South Korea. Unfortunately, we have confirmed that such situations have actually occurred in some cases."

He continued, "All we ask for is fair treatment. If we determine that our companies are not being treated fairly, we will voice our clear opinions on the matter."