On Wednesday (US time), Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said the Trump administration aims to pressure North Korea into dismantling its nuclear and missile programs through economic sanctions and diplomacy.

The administration will also remain open to negotiation, they said in a joint statement outlining the administration's North Korean policy.  

"The stance of South Korea and the US toward dialogue is consistent. That is the door for dialogue is open if the North comes to take the path toward denuclearization with sincerity," spokesman Cho June-jyuk said. "Therefore we urge the North to learn quickly that the only choice it has is to denuclearize and come to the path of genuine transformation."

Referring to the latest move in Washington, Cho said it is the first-ever joint statement by the US government since the North Korea issue first emerged in the early 1990s. 

"It is self-evident that the US administration is taking the North Korea issue as a very realistic threat." (Yonhap)