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| North Korea crisis: Tillerson says diplomacy will continue | North Korea crisis: Tillerson says diplomacy will continue |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has insisted President Donald Trump wants to resolve the confrontation with North Korea through diplomacy. | US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has insisted President Donald Trump wants to resolve the confrontation with North Korea through diplomacy. |
| It will continue until "the first bomb drops", he told CNN. | It will continue until "the first bomb drops", he told CNN. |
| Sanctions and diplomacy, he said, had brought unprecedented international unity against North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. | Sanctions and diplomacy, he said, had brought unprecedented international unity against North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. |
| Last month, Mr Trump told Mr Tillerson not to waste time seeking talks with Kim Jong-un. | Last month, Mr Trump told Mr Tillerson not to waste time seeking talks with Kim Jong-un. |
| Mr Tillerson's remarks come as the US and South Korea begin their latest joint military exercise in waters surrounding the Korean peninsula, involving fighter jets, destroyers and aircraft carriers. | |
| The drills regularly anger the North, and Pyongyang has in the past denounced them as a "rehearsal for war". | |
| In Sunday's interview, Mr Tillerson again refused to comment on whether he had referred to Mr Trump as a moron after a July meeting at the Pentagon. | |
| "I'm not going to deal with that petty stuff," he replied, saying he would not dignify the question with an answer. | "I'm not going to deal with that petty stuff," he replied, saying he would not dignify the question with an answer. |
| The president responded by challenging the secretary of state to an IQ test but a spokeswoman said later it had been a joke. | |
| Lines of communication | |
| In recent months, North Korea has defied international opinion by conducting its sixth nuclear test and launching two missiles over Japan. | In recent months, North Korea has defied international opinion by conducting its sixth nuclear test and launching two missiles over Japan. |
| Analysts say the secretive communist state it is clearly set on developing a nuclear-capable missile, able to threaten the continental US, despite UN sanctions. | Analysts say the secretive communist state it is clearly set on developing a nuclear-capable missile, able to threaten the continental US, despite UN sanctions. |
| At the end of last month, Mr Tillerson disclosed that the US was in "direct contact" with the North and looking at the possibility of talks. | At the end of last month, Mr Tillerson disclosed that the US was in "direct contact" with the North and looking at the possibility of talks. |
| After months of heated rhetoric, it came as a surprise to some that the two countries had lines of communication. | After months of heated rhetoric, it came as a surprise to some that the two countries had lines of communication. |
| However, the next day Mr Trump tweeted Mr Tillerson to say: "Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!" | However, the next day Mr Trump tweeted Mr Tillerson to say: "Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!" |