Rex Tillerson told reporters in Seoul, South Korea Friday that a military response is “on the table” if North Korea takes military action threatening South Korean or U.S. forces.
“Certainly, we do not want things to get to a military conflict,” the secretary of state said in response to a question from CNN. “Obviously if North Korea takes actions that threatens the South Korean forces or our own forces, then that would be met with an appropriate response.”
“Let me be very clear. The policy of strategic patience has ended,” Tillerson elaborated, marking a stark departure from foreign policies dating back to the Clinton administration. “We are exploring a new range of security and diplomatic measures. All options are on the table.”
“If they elevate the threat of their weapons program to a level that we believe that requires action, that option is on the table.”
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].