"It is unfortunate that in recent years the international community has not been able to speak with one voice in condemning the DPRK's reckless and destabilizing activity … We urge Beijing to use its influence to encourage the DPRK to refrain from further destabilizing behavior and return to the negotiating table," Sung Kim told a South Korean news agency.
Washington also urges China to fulfill its obligations "under the resolutions that UN Security Council members unanimously adopted," the ambassador added.
"It's important to make clear to the DPRK that its escalatory behavior has consequences. The DPRK must also understand that the only viable path forward is through diplomacy," Sung Kim said, adding that any nuclear attack against South Korea would be met with a "swift, overwhelming and decisive" response.
The United States is open to dialogue with Pyongyang and "remains committed to diplomacy," Sung Kim noted.