WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in discussed the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral trade over the phone Friday.
The White House said in a statement that Trump wished Moon and the South Korean people a successful Winter Olympic Games.
Trump also reiterated his commitment to addressing the trade imbalance between the two countries, the statement said.
Some media reports said the White House withdrew its nomination of Victor Cha as the U.S. ambassador to South Korea because of his opposition to military options against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Cha, a veteran Korea expert, denounced the idea in public last month, saying such a move would invite a full-blown war on the Korean Peninsula, putting the whole South Korean population in danger.
South Korea has demanded the United States name another nominee for the ambassador post before the Olympics. The post has been empty since Trump assumed office last year.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula remained volatile throughout 2017, as the DPRK conducted its sixth nuclear test and the United States conducted large-scale military drills with South Korea, sending aircraft carrier groups, strategic bombers, nuclear submarines and other strategic assets there.
Washington has also maintained its so-called "maximum pressure" stance against the DPRK, yet so far the strategy has not achieved the expected results.
