The United States is not ruling out direct dialogue with North Korea on its nuclear program, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in an interview with National Public Radio broadcast Friday.

"Obviously, that would be the way we would like to solve this," he said, when asked whether Washington seeks direct talks with Pyongyang.

"But North Korea has to decide they're ready to talk to us about the right agenda -- and the right agenda is not simply stopping where they are for a few more months or a few more years and then resuming things."

Tillerson has previously said "the era of strategic patience is over." He stressed in the NPR interview that what Washington now seeks is dialogue.

"Our approach to North Korea is to have them change their posture towards any future talks," he said.

"I think when we say the era of strategic patience is over -- in the past I think we have always negotiated our way to the negotiating table... We don't have the running room left to do that now, given how far advanced their program has become.

"So this is an approach that is to put pressure on them through implementation of all the sanctions, as well as other diplomatic pressures, and calling on others to cause them to change their view of what will really allow them to achieve the security that they say they seek."

The United States has called for stronger UN sanctions on North Korea, but wants China to take the lead in diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

Tillerson's interview came ahead of a UN Security Council meeting chaired by Tillerson, to push for a tougher response to North Korea and pile pressure on China to rein in its ally.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the meeting that follows weeks of warnings from the US administration that it will no longer tolerate North Korea's missile launches and nuclear tests.

Negotiations on N. Korea are 'only right choice': China
United Nations, United States (AFP) April 28, 2017 - Stressing the need to avoid "chaos" on the Korean peninsula, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said dialogue and negotiations were "the only right choice" to address the threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

"Right now, the situation on the Korean peninsula is under grave tension and at a critical point," Wang said ahead of a Security Council meeting aimed at agreeing on a global response to North Korea.

World powers must work to "uphold peace and stability on the peninsula and not to allow chaos to break out on the peninsula," he said.

"Peaceful settlements of the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula through a dialogue and negotiations represent the only right choice that is practical and viable."

His comments came after US President Donald Trump said he would prefer a diplomatic solution, but acknowledged the stand-off was highly dangerous and could lead to military action.

"There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," he told Reuters. "We'd love to solve things diplomatically, but it's very difficult."

Wang said China's long-standing proposal for a freeze on Pyongyang's military programs in exchange for halting US-South Korea military drills was "sensible and reasonable."

The United States has rejected the Chinese proposal and insists that North Korea first take steps to show that it is ready to abandon its military programs.

Trump has called for stronger UN sanctions on North Korea, but the administration wants China to take the lead in diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis by using its leverage on Pyongyang.

No resolutions will be adopted at the UN meeting, but it will allow the United States and its allies to put pressure on China.

North Korea is seeking to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five atomic tests, two of them last year.

China, Pyongyang's number one trade partner, has repeatedly called for a return to talks on denuclearization but has been reluctant to use economic pressure that could destabilize North Korea.

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US vows to force N.Korea back to nuclear talks
Washington (AFP) April 27, 2017
The United States pledged Wednesday to step up sanctions to force North Korea to resume dialogue over its nuclear program, but said it was not looking to bring Kim Jong-Un's regime to its knees. After briefing senators at the White House, top US officials said President Donald Trump also aimed to pursue diplomatic measures with allies and regional partners. "We are engaging responsible m ... read more

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