U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has
warned that there's a real threat North Korea
could launch a nuclear attack on South Korea
or Japan.... and it's only a matter of time
before the regime develops the capability
to strike the U.S. mainland.
Chairing a special meeting at the UN Security
Council on Friday, local time,... Tillerson
stated that the Trump administration is willing
to "counteract North Korean aggression with
military action" and won't hesitate to slap
secondary sanctions on third-country companies
and individuals supporting the North.
He said the status quo of threats and provocations
is no longer acceptable... and the world should
act before North Korea does.
"...the catastrophic affects of a North Korean
nuclear strike outweigh any economic benefits.
We must be willing to face the hard truths
and make hard choices right now to prevent
disastrous outcomes to the future.
Business as usual is not an option."
The top U.S. diplomat also called on UN member
states to sever or sharply downgrade diplomatic
relations with North Korea and cut off trade
ties supporting the regime's illicit activities.
Tillerson's Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi,
was also at the meeting.
He said the problem should be resolved through
negotiations.... as the use of force will
only lead to bigger disasters.
