The White House VOA Correspondent Peter Heinlein reported comments by three Trump government officials delivered after Pyongyang's latest underground nuclear test. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council held emergency talks on North Korea today, the second meeting of the week.
After briefing President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House, Defense Minister James Mattis delivered a strong message to North Korea about North Korea's provocative actions.
"We do not intend to completely destroy a country like North Korea, but as I said, we have such options," Mattis said.
President Donald Trump, via twitter, called Pyongyang's latest "hostile and dangerous" action. He said that he was considering an economic boycott of a country that does business with North Korea, and Finance Minister Steve Mnuchin said he was preparing for a new round of sanctions.
The UN Security Council also held an emergency meeting on North Korea on Monday (4/9). Monday's emergency talks were held amid reports that Pyongyang is preparing to test another ballistic missile.
"The time has come to consider all our diplomatic means before it is too late, we must now take the most powerful measures," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told the council.
He said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "wanted the war" with his actions. "America does not want war but our patience is not unlimited," Haley said.
Earlier, South Korea's defense ministry said it was aware of signs North Korea was preparing to test ballistic missiles. The ministry also announced plans to immediately install four more launchers for the THAAD missile defense system.
North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, described as a successful thermonuclear hydrogen bomb and can be mounted on intercontinental missiles or ICBMs.
An American intelligence official said there was no reason to doubt North Korea's claim that a nuclear device that was detonated on an underground Sunday was 10 times stronger than a nuclear test a year ago.
"We strongly believe this is a sophisticated test of nuclear tools and what we have seen so far matches North Korean claims," the intelligence official said.