A U.S. policy of strategic patience with North Korea has ended, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in South Korea on Friday (March 17) at a joint news conference with his South Korean counterpart. He added that military action would be “on the table” if North Korea elevated the threat level.
Tillerson also called on China to implement sanctions against North Korea and said there was no need for China to punish South Korea for deploying an advanced U.S. anti-missile system aimed at defending against North Korea.
China said the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system’s powerful radar is a threat to its security.
Tillerson began his first Asian visit as secretary of state in Japan on Wednesday (March 15) and will travel to China on Saturday (March 18) with a main focus on finding a new approach on North Korea after what he described as two decades of failed efforts to denuclearize the insular nation.
(Reuters)
