A senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday that the United States remains focused on denuclearizing North Korea and prefers denuclearization obtained through diplomacy.

Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey made the remarks during a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Helvey said U.S. policy remains "very much focused" on denuclearization, and that it strongly prefers a denuclearization that can only realistically be obtained through a "diplomatic process." 

The U.S. official said while there has been "some progress," it's unclear whether North Korea is committed to the process that will result in a "much brighter future" for its people.

He said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent decision to suspend military action against Seoul underscored the importance of closely monitoring the situation and maintaining a strong readiness posture.

Helvey also said it's hard to determine tactically what North Korea is going to do on a day-to-day basis, even though the country, particularly under Kim Jong-un, is very predictable and understandable.