; sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Preventing North Korea from proliferating illegal nuclear weapons and related material is a top priority for the United States and regional partners, including Japan, China, and South Korea. (2) Presidential transitions in Washington, DC, and Seoul, South Korea, create opportunities for instability that North Korea could exploit for additional provocations. (3) North Korea is already violating the letter and spirit of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions. (4) North Korea allegedly test-fired a ballistic missile on February 11, 2017. (5) Strengthening high-level dialogue about North Korean nuclear proliferation between the United States, regional partners, and the United Nations would bring necessary attention to the issue, which has languished over successive Republican and Democratic Administrations. (6) The United States would benefit from a comprehensive strategy, jointly implemented with its regional partners, including China, to prevent North Korea from becoming armed with nuclear weapons and strengthen the shared goal of achieving a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. (7) In addition to supporting the work of the United Nations Panel of Experts on North Korea, the United States and its partners would benefit from a senior-level dialogue to coordinate sanctions enforcement, to detect North Korea proliferation activities, and to prepare contingency responses in the event of North Korean nuclear or conventional provocations. (8) The United States, along with its allies and partners, have highly capable military and nuclear experts who can refine plans to respond to a North Korea capability development that endangers the United States homeland and could recommend defensive measures to address vulnerabilities. (9) The trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan, and South Korea has served as an important node for sharing information about the North Korean threat and the trilateral relationship should be expanded