US pledges to use diplomacy to resolve 'threat' from North Korea

US pledges to use diplomacy to resolve 'threat' from North Korea

North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons is an urgent national security threat and the US will exert pressure through diplomatic measures and tighter economic sanctions, the Trump administration has said.

The US State Department, defence and intelligence chiefs issued a statement on Wednesday after briefing senators on Washington's policy on North Korea - a policy some observers said sounds similar to that of the Obama administration.

The statement said President Donald Trump aims to press North Korea into dismantling its nuclear, ballistic missile and proliferation programmes, and is engaging the international community to achieve that and persuade Kim Jong Un's government "to de-escalate and return to the path of dialogue".

The US "remains open to negotiations" to achieve denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula, but the statement adds: "We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies."