Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. is considering "all options" to counter North Korea's nuclear threat while criticizing China over moves to block a missile-defense system on the peninsula.
In some of his most detailed comments yet on North Korea, Tillerson ruled out a negotiated freeze of its nuclear weapons program and called for a wider alliance to counter Kim Jong Un's regime. He also left the military option on the table if the North Korean threat gets too large.
"If they elevate the threat of their weapons programs to a level that we believe requires action, that option is on the table," Tillerson told reporters on Friday on a trip to South Korea when asked about the possibility of a preemptive strike. He ruled out talks with North Korea until it commits to giving up its nuclear weapons.
Tillerson, who heads to Beijing on Saturday, said China's moves to retaliate against South Korea for agreeing to the deployment of a missile-defense program were "troubling" and "inappropriate."
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