A senior U.S. official said on Thursday that the United States supports the use of the World Trade Organization's(WTO) dispute settlement process to resolve trade issues between South Korea and Japan.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell made the remarks during a virtual press briefing on the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.

Stilwell said these processes allow two sides to have a discussion on the matter and that the U.S. supports the use of these mechanisms to resolve differences.

The U.S. official, however, added that he encourages both sides to maintain dialogue as the U.S. looks forward to having the contentious issues resolved, or at the very least, having a conversation on them.

The comment comes after Seoul recently resumed dispute settlement proceedings at the WTO over Tokyo's export restrictions. South Korea had dropped the complaint last year to seek a settlement through further talks with Japan, but recently reversed its decision, citing a lack of progress.