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Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 16:30
Tillerson warns military action on DPRK if diplomacy fails
By Associated Press
Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 16:30 By Associated Press

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during a press conference at the Vancouver Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Jan 16, 2018. (DON MACKINNON / AFP)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Tuesday that if the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) does not choose to negotiate on giving up its nuclear weapons that pose a growing threat to the United States it could trigger a military response.

After a meeting of US allies on how to beef up the sanctions pressure, Tillerson stressed that the Trump administration seeks a diplomatic resolution in the nuclear standoff, but he said the DPRK has yet to show itself to be a "credible negotiating partner." 

He said US-DPRK talks would require a "sustained cessation" of threatening behavior.

We have to recognize that the threat is growing and that if North Korea (DPRK) does not choose the pathway of engagement, discussion, negotiation then they themselves will trigger an option. 

Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State

Tillerson declined to comment on whether the White House is considering limited military action against Pyongyang, in response to reports that some in the Trump administration advocate military action to give the DPRK a "bloody nose."

READ MORE: US trying to derail detente on Korean Peninsula, says DPRK

"We all need to be very sober and clear-eyed about the current situation," Tillerson said when he was asked whether Americans should be concerned about the possibility of a war. He said the DPRK has continued to make significant advances in its nuclear weapons through the thermonuclear test and progress in its intercontinental missile systems.

"We have to recognize that the threat is growing and that if North Korea does not choose the pathway of engagement, discussion, negotiation then they themselves will trigger an option," he said.

The DPRK is also referred to as North Korea.

His uncompromising message came after a gathering in Vancouver of 20 nations that were on America's side during the Korean War, where there was skepticism among the allies over Pyongyang’s sincerity in its recent diplomatic opening with the US-allied Republic of Korea (ROK). The meeting convened days after a mistaken missile alert caused panic on Hawaii, a stark reminder of the fears of conflict with the DPRK.

ALSO READ: China discourages US, DPRK from war of words

Despite Washington's tough stance and determination to keep up the pressure on Pyongyang, President Donald Trump has signaled openness to talks with the DPRK under the right circumstances. After months of insults and blood-curdling threats traded with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, Trump suggested in an interview last week that the two leaders could have a positive relationship.

Tillerson declined to say Tuesday whether Trump has spoken directly to Kim.

"I don't think it's useful to comment" he said. "We are at a very tenuous stage in terms of how far North Korea has taken their program and what we can do to convince them to take an alternative path. And so when we get into who's talking to who and what was said, if we want that to be made know or made public we will announce it."

ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said its talks with Pyongyang, leading to DPRK participation in next month's Olympics being hosted by the ROK, are a "significant first step toward restoring inter-Korean relations."

But she conceded that despite the overtures, the DPRK has yet to show any intention to fulfill its obligations on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono was blunter. He said the DPRK "wants to buy some time to continue their nuclear and missile programs."

The meeting was attended by foreign ministers and senior diplomats of nations that sent troops or humanitarian aid to the UN Command that supported the ROK in the fight against the DPRK and its allies during the 1950-53 Korean War. It's a diverse gathering of mostly European and Asian nations, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Colombia.

The delegates were briefed Monday night by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. 

The gathering, co-hosted by Canada and the US, had few concrete outcomes and was principally intended as a show of solidarity. But China and Russia were not invited. US officials say those two nations will be briefed afterward.

Beijing and Moscow have supported UN Security Council resolutions to restrict export revenue for DPRK nuclear and missile development. 

The latest UN Security Council resolution, adopted in December in response to an ICBM test, calls on member states to impound vessels in their ports if there are reasonable grounds to suspect illicit trade with the DPRK. It authorizes interdictions in a member state's territorial waters.

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