A high-ranking Foreign Ministry official says the incoming Joe Biden administration recognizes the need to prioritize the North Korean nuclear issue.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, the official added that Seoul will closely discuss the matter with Washington and come up with the most effective policy toward North Korea as soon as the Biden administration is launched on January 20 and ready.

Sources say South Korea has been directly and indirectly pitching the need to address North Korea, especially following the Eighth Workers' Party Congress in the North where Pyongyang declared plans to upgrade its nuclear capabilities.