Pence, who has called the North's failed missile test a day earlier "a provocation", said the us and its allies will achieve its objectives through "peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary" to protect South Korea and stabilize the region.
Considering that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have already visited Seoul in the early days of the Trump administration, South Korean government officials say Washington is putting a lot of weight on the two countries' alliance and on solving the North Korea issue.
Pence said during a Monday visit to South Korea that the North needs to abandon its weapons program and stop testing ballistic missiles.
US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster looks on as US President Donald Trump announces him as his national security adviser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2017.
Despite North Korea's provocations, US officials have said that the USA doesn't intend to use military force against North Korea in response to either a nuclear test or a missile launch. North Korea regularly fires short-range missiles, but it is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target USA troops in Asia and, eventually, the US mainland.
Administration officials aren't ruling out the use of force and point to the president's decision to strike Syria as an example of his willingness to take action to advance US interests.
Japan's National Security Council discussed how to evacuate its almost 60,000 citizens from South Korea in the event of a crisis, a government official said on Friday amid rising concern over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
The North Koreans use Sinpo shipyard for their submarine activity, and U.S. satellites have observed increased activity there in April, a United States official said at the time of the previous test.
Trump has said that if the Chinese were not willing to cooperate then the USA would be both willing and able to solve the problem "with or without China". On April 7, the US struck a Syrian air base to punish the Bashar al-Assad regime for a suspected chemical attack.
The U.S. Army said that the missile exploded nearly immediately after it was launched.
The attempted test, and a weekend parade of Pyongyang's military hardware, prompted global condemnation and an American promise of further action if the hermit state failed to end its provocations.
Kathrine Switzer completes marathon in honor of her historic run
Earlier Monday, city officials announced plans for memorials to mark the sites where two bombs exploded during the 2013 race. Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya won the race in 2:09:37, while fellow Kenyan Edna Kiplagat took home the women's title in 2:21:52.
Upon his arrival in South Korea, Pence attended a brief ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery.
Abe said that "we need to apply pressure on North Korea so they seriously respond to a dialogue" with the global community.
"These options would be used if North Korea regime refuses to denuclearise, which is the accepted objective of both the United States and Chinese leadership, as well American allies in the region", he said.
According to a military official the weapon is "presumed to be a new ICBM" as it is longer than the existing KN-08 or KN-14 missiles.
North Korea's failed missile test highlighted what one Republican Senator said is the first true test of the Trump presidency.
The reduced level of imminent threat to the U.S.is a relief for millions of Americans, but doesn't solve the large problem of what to do about North Korea.
During their talks, Hwang and the vice president are also expected to reaffirm their agreement to install a USA missile defense battery in South Korea and call on Beijing to stop its economic retaliation against South Korea, observers said.
He said Pence will try to balance reassurance with a willingness to respond if North Korea acts.
Kim has overseen three nuclear tests and a string of missile and rocket launches since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong Il, in late 2011.
North Korea is working to develop a nuclear missile that can strike the United States. Under rainfall, Pence later stood a few meters from the military demarcation line outside Freedom House, gazing at the North Korean soldiers across the border, and then peered at a deforested stretch of North Korea from a lookout post in the hillside.
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