US considers outside help on DPRK other than State Department

The Trump administration has considered seeking help from outside experts to deal with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), CNN reported citing an official from the Trump administration, which lacks experienced diplomats to work on arguably the world's most pressing foreign policy challenge.

Chief US negotiator with DPRK, Joseph Yun, is retiring on Friday, and the US has not appointed a permanent ambassador to Seoul since Trump took office. The White House withdrew the nomination of Victor Cha, and no replacement nominees have been announced. These factors have revived concerns that the US lacks diplomatic veterans on Korean Peninsula issues.

US Special Representative for DPRK Policy Joseph Yun (R) answers questions from reporters following meeting with Japan and South Korea chief nuclear negotiators to talk about DPRK issues at the Iikura guest house in Tokyo, Japan, April 25, 2017.

Both Yun and Cha were advocates of engagement with the DPRK and were viewed with suspicion by the White House, where senior officials have argued for a military solution to the challenge posed by Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

Pyongyang has expressed its willingness to hold "candid" talks with the US on ways to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and normalize the countries' bilateral ties, said Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in's top security adviser Chung Eui-yong on Tuesday regarding the outcome of his two-day trip to Pyongyan.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the DPRK seems "sincere" in its apparent willingness to halt nuclear tests if it held denuclearization talks with the US, noting that Pyongyang is feeling the pressure of sanctions.

US Vice President Mike Pence said the US would continue to apply "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang and that all options were "on the table" until Washington sees evidence that the DPRK is taking steps toward denuclearization.

(CGTN)