U.S. focused on diplomacy in North Korea, for now

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis met Thursday with their Japanese counterparts in Washington, D.C., to discuss North Korea. At a press conference following the meeting, Mattis said the North Korean regime is increasingly isolating itself. Reporters asked Tillerson about remarks from former presidential adviser Steve Bannon, who said this week there is “no military solution” to the North Korean threat. Tillerson said that while the United States is focused on applying diplomatic pressure for now, “any situation where you have this level of threat that we’re confronted with, a threat of proportions that none of us like to contemplate, has to be backed by a strong military consequence if North Korea chooses wrongly.” Tillerson called on all nations to fully enforce the new UN sanctions against North Korea to help avoid a military conflict.