Washington/Seoul, July 25 (TIWN) A senior US official has emphasized the need for North Korea to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and return to diplomatic engagement, the State Department said.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday in a press release that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell made the call during a video conference on Monday with senior officials from member states of the East Asia Summit(EAS).   Stilwell reportedly encouraged EAS countries to address "pressing regional security challenges" that include Beijing's imposition of national security legislation in Hong Kong, the Rohingya crisis and escalating violence in Rakhine state in Myanmar and North Korea. ​