WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― Daniel Russel, the nominee to become the United States’ point man on East Asia, said Thursday he will actively pursue “the verifiable denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula.
“North Korea presents, through its nuclear and missile programs, a serious threat to the U.S., to our allies and to the global non-proliferation regime,” Russel said during a confirmation hearing by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
“If confirmed, I will actively pursue the verifiable denuclerization of the Korean Peninsula and work to block North Korea’s efforts to proliferate and to blackmail its neighbors,” he added.
Last month, President Barack Obama nominated Russel, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council, as the new assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs to replace Kurt Campbell who left the position in February.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
