A high-level official at the U.S. Department of State has said it would be a mistake for North Korea to engage in provocations which would be followed by further international sanctions.
 
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel made the remark following a forum on South Korea-U.S. relations at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington on Tuesday.
 
Russel told reporters that Pyongyang should adhere to its obligations and responsibilities pertaining to UN Security Council resolutions and the September 19 Joint Statement of 2005, in which the North vowed to abandon its nuclear program. The secretary noted that North Korea is prohibited from engaging in any activities involving ballistic missiles.
 
Russel said North Korea had engaged in provocations in the past but hasn't reaped any benefits or advantages, noting that nuclear or missile tests would be a setback for the North.
 
Russel added that the United States is focusing on the resumption of denuclearization talks in accordance with the September 19 Joint Statement and that it is the path consistently proposed by President Park Geun-hye and President Barack Obama.