A senior White House official has expressed expectations for the Yoon Suk Yeol government in light of the president’s emphasis on strengthening South Korea’s alliance with the United States as it seeks engagement with North Korea.

White House policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell said on Wednesday at a seminar in Washington that the U.S. has sent clear messages to North Korea regarding the actions considered provocative and antithetical to the maintenance of peace and stability.

Campbell said that despite the messages, the North recently staged a number of military exercises and ballistic missile tests that the U.S. views as provocative.

The White House official then noted that the new president in South Korea, in collaboration with the U.S., is determined to actively deter the North from further aggression and is working to project a strong message of partnership between Seoul and Washington.

Campbell added that on that basis, Washington is prepared for any kind of diplomacy or engagement with North Korea.