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Tillerson: US 'strategic patience with North Korea ended' Tillerson: Military action against North Korea 'an option'
(35 minutes later)
The US policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea has ended, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said during a visit to South Korea. Military action against North Korea is "an option on the table", US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said during a visit to South Korea.
"All options" were on the table and the US was exploring a "new range of diplomatic, security and economic measures", he said. He said the policy of "strategic patience" had ended and the US was exploring a new range of diplomatic, security and economic measures.
North Korea has sparked concern with recent missile and nuclear tests.North Korea has sparked concern with recent missile and nuclear tests.
Mr Tillerson spoke shortly after visiting the Demilitarized Zone which divides the two Koreas.Mr Tillerson spoke shortly after visiting the Demilitarized Zone which divides the two Koreas.
He arrived in South Korea from Japan, where he said that 20 years of efforts aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions had failed.
Asked if the possibility for military action existed, he said: "Certainly we do not want to, for things to get to military conflict."
But he said: "If they elevate the threat of their weapons programme to a level that we believe requires action, then, that option's on the table."