'The two sides pledged that in the event of additional strategic provocation by the North to swiftly take punitive measures including a new U.N. Security Council resolution that are unbearable for the North, ' the South's presidential office said after its national security adviser, Kim Kwan-jin, held a phone call with his USA counterpart, H.R. McMaster.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats described North Korea as "an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority". President Donald Trump's secretary of state, defense secretary, top general and national intelligence director were to outline for them the North's escalating nuclear capabilities and USA response options, officials said.
The statement said President Donald Trump aims to press North Korea into dismantling its nuclear, ballistic missile and proliferation programmes, and is engaging the worldwide community to achieve that and persuade Kim Jong Un's government "to de-escalate and return to the path of dialogue".
The mission said "it is an unshakable will of the DPRK to go to the end if the USA wants to remain unchanged in its confrontational stance".
The US "remains open to negotiations" to achieve denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula, but the statement adds: "We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies".
The THAAD system has been moved to South Korea in response to North Korea's increased missile and nuclear tests.
North Korea's United Nations Mission said if "total war" broke out with the United States it would respond with nuclear options. The briefing team was to meet later with House members in the Capitol. It made no specific mention of military options, though it said the USA would defend itself and friends.
Although Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month described the USA and North Korea as two accelerating trains that are set for a "head-on collision", as of Wednesday, there are no indications that a US military strike against Pyongyang is imminent.
Louisiana U.S. Senators react to North Korea briefing
Tensions have escalated since Trump took office three months ago, determined to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and missile advances. Seoul announced that key portions of a controversial US missile-defense system has now been installed.
US officials said today's briefings will center on three key issues: intelligence about the North's capabilities; USA response options, including military ones; and how to get China and other countries to enforce existing economic sanctions on Pyongyang, along with ideas for new penalties.
Sok said Tuesday's massive artillery drill, held on the 85th anniversary of North Korea's army, was a warning to US President Donald Trump. China and Russian Federation have opposed the defense system, saying it undermines their own security interests.
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is being set up on a former golf course in the southern county of Seongju, and its arrival was met by hundreds of protesters, some of whom clashed with police.
The front-runner in South Korea 's May 9 presidential election has called for a delay in THAAD deployment, saying the new Seoul administration should make a decision after gathering public opinion and more talks with Washington. "One of these days soon, he will succeed", Harris said.
Amid rising tensions between North Korea and South Korea and the United States, Australia wants "to see a denuclearised Korean Peninsula", she added.
"In confronting the reckless North Korean regime, it's critical that we're guided by a strong sense of resolve, both privately and publicly, both diplomatically and militarily", he said.
Harris scoffed at Chinese objections, saying he believed it was "preposterous" that Beijing would try to push South Korea against a system to defend itself, and suggested Beijing should focus on trying to influence North Korea.
The USS Carl Vinson, which was deployed to take part in "tactical training drills" with Japanese destroyers earlier this month, is the flagship vessel of the US Navy's Carrier Strike Group one.
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