Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, reiterated that Washington remains committed to “principled diplomacy” to bring North Korea back on the path for denuclearization through the six-party negotiating platform even as it mounts unprecedented sanctions through the United Nations and toughens security through the largest-ever military drill in South Korea and possible deployment of a strong antimissile system.

“We are still obviously in the process of implementing the sanctions, both multilaterally and unilaterally. But the United States remains committed to a diplomatic solution to this (North Korea’s nuclear) problem,” the envoy told reporters on Friday.

“Unless and until we see progress of willingness from the North Koreans to come back to the (negotiating) table, we will continue to move forward on our strategy which is on the diplomatic side to stop byeongjin (military-first campaign)… and on the multilateral and economic side to raise the costs through sanctions and other means of the nuclear and missile programs,” he said.

He added that sanctions aren’t “end”, but “the means” to helping to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council passed the harshest-ever resolution and sanctions on North Korea aimed to cut off hard currency revenue for Pyongyang and funding its nuclear and missile program in punitive action against the country’s fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range missile launch in the following month.

The actions will help to “sharpen the choice and bring the North Korean leadership back to the table” for diplomatic solutions.

“No. Our policy is not a regime change (in North Korea),” he emphasized. “Denuclearization is our No. 1 priority,” he said.

He added that Washington was in close consultation with Beijing with the immediate focus on “strong implementation of the sanctions and making sure the sanctions are as effective as possible to drive the North Koreans back to the negotiating table.”

He said the issue of deploying the U.S. antimissile system Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) which China strongly opposes was “not a bargaining chip."

Seoul and Washington have entered consultation on Thaad, and “a final decision is going to be based on national security interests of the Korean Peninsula," he said.

By Kim Sung-hoon

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