WASHINGTON _ Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday voiced a rare note of optimism in the North Korea nuclear crisis, saying ruler Kim Jong Un may be showing signs of restraint that could lead to dialogue.
Tillerson noted that North Korea had not launched a ballistic missile nor done other "provocative acts" since the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Aug. 5 to impose blistering economic sanctions on Pyongyang.
"I'm pleased to see that the regime in Pyongyang has certainly demonstrated some level of restraint that we've not seen in the past," Tillerson said in a briefing with reporters at the State Department convened primarily to discuss the Trump administration's plans for Afghanistan.
He expressed hope that such restraint was "the beginning of this signal that we've been looking for."
"Perhaps we are seeing our pathway to some time in the near future to having some dialogue," Tillerson said, adding that he still wanted to see more signs but also thought it important to acknowledge the steps taken.
Though sanctions have been used repeatedly to punish and isolate North Korea over the last two decades, the U.N. package was described as the most severe. If enforced, the penalties could cut that country's export income by one-third, around $1 billion.
Before the U.N. Security Council's action, North Korea had launched two intercontinental missiles within a few weeks of each other in July.
That led to particularly belligerent rounds of threats from North Korea state media and President Donald Trump, who at one point vowed "fire and fury" against North Korea and then warned that U.S. military weapons were "locked and loaded."
Earlier Tuesday, the United States had imposed a separate round of sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian companies and individuals accused of working with North Korea.
