U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in a meeting Thursday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that Washington would "bring maximum pressure to bear on North Korea" until they abandon their nuclear weapons program.
Meeting with Moon at the Blue House in Seoul, Pence reaffirmed to longtime ally South Korea the U.S. commitment to economically and diplomatically isolate North Korea in order to achieve the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.
Early Friday, Pence traveled to the South Korean Navy's 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, to visit a memorial for the South Korean warship Cheonan, which was torpedoed by the North. Nearly 50 sailors aboard the Cheonan were killed.
The vice president is also scheduled to meet with some North Korean defectors while in Pyeongtaek.
Later Friday, Pence will lead a U.S. delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Moon said South Korea is viewing hosting the Olympics as a way to improve diplomatic relations with North Korea. He has referred to the games as the "Olympic Games of peace."
美国副总统彭斯星期四与韩国总统文在寅会谈的时候说，美国将向朝鲜施加最大的压力，直到它放弃核武器计划。
彭斯副总统在首尔青瓦台与文在寅总统会见的时候向美国的长期盟友再次强调，为了实现朝鲜半岛无核化的目标，美国致力于在经济上和外交上孤立朝鲜。
彭斯星期五早些时候前往首尔以南70公里的平泽，到韩国海军第二舰队司令部所在地参观韩国天安号军舰纪念馆。天安号军舰被朝鲜的鱼雷击沉，舰上将近50人丧生。
彭斯还定于在平泽会见一些从朝鲜逃到韩国的人。
之后，他将率领美国代表团参加在韩国平昌举行的冬季奥林匹克运动会。
文在寅说，韩国把主办冬奥会视为改善与朝鲜外交关系的渠道。他称冬奥会为“和平奥运会”。