Although President Trump’s administration is yet to fill a single Asia-focused role, the appointments of key figures within foreign policy and national security roles are providing increasing clues as to how Washington might approach North Korea in 2017.

Combined with public statements on the subject of the Koreas by them and the President himself, it now appears increasingly likely that policymakers in Washington will – for the short to medium term at least – focus their efforts on attempting to significantly increase pressure against the North Korean leadership.

But although Washington’s overall strategic goal for the