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WASHINGTON, Sept. 22-- Leaders of the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) had reiterated the goal of peacefully solving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue, the White House said on Friday. "President (Donald) Trump and President Moon (Jae-in) reaffirmed the two countries' joint goal of pursuing the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea in a peaceful manner," the White House said in a readout of Trump and Moon's Thursday meeting in New York. The statement came days after Trump threatened in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly that the United States "will have no choice than to totally destroy" the country unless Pyongyang refrains from its nuclear tests and missile launches. On Friday, the top leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, vowed to retaliate, saying Trump will "pay dearly" for "his speech calling for totally destroying the DPRK." Trump and Moon also agreed that "maximum pressure and sanctions" are necessary to deter the DPRK's "threatening actions," the White House statement said. Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at further cutting off sources of revenue that fund the DPRK's nuclear program. Also on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China is firmly committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during his speech at the General Debate of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. | 
