President Donald John Trump warned that the United States (US) patience in North Korea's "reckless and brutal regime" has been exhausted. He called on the international community to support additional sanctions to thwart the nuclear missile program of the regime of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean official.
In his speech at the White House with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, Trump vowed to strengthen the US-South Korea alliance.
"The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed," Trump said. "Frankly, that patience is up," he said again.
Earlier, Trump's national security adviser, HR McMaster, revealed that the Trump government was preparing a military option for Kim Jong-un's regime. McMaster also asserted that the US will no longer use soft approaches in the past that have proved unsuccessful.
"Together we are facing the threat of a reckless and brutal regime in North Korea," said Trump who stood next to President Moon at Rose Garden, the White House, as quoted by Reuters on Saturday (1/7/2017).
"The nuclear and ballistic missile program of the regime requires a definite response," Trump added.
Moon is considered more assertive than its predecessor, President Park Geun-hye, agrees with Trump's rhetoric against North Korea. "Our two leaders will use both sanctions and dialogue in a gradual and thorough way,"
Pyongyang sees American involvement on the Korean peninsula-including the presence of 30,000 troops-as a signal Washington is preparing to reignite the 1950-1953 Korean War.
US Defense Secretary James Norman Mattis warned of tragic consequences if military options were taken against North Korea. He once warned that a genocide in Seoul would happen if the US attacked Pyongyang.
