The FINANCIAL — President Donald Trump has warned North Korea that the United States is prepared to use the full range of its military power to defend itself and its allies, but added that he is focused on using “all available tools short of military action” to prevent conflict.
“North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires worldwide action,” Trump told a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on November 7 in Seoul.
“We cannot allow North Korea to threaten all that we have built,” Trump said.
He also urged North Korea to “do the right thing” and said, “I do see some movement” — though he declined to elaborate on the type of progress being made.
Trump added that it “really makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal.”
“We hope to God we don’t have to use” the United States’ full military capabilities, he said.
Moon said that he and Trump also reaffirmed they are ready to provide North Korea with a “bright future” if the country gives ups its nuclear and missile programs, according to RFE/RL.
Trump and Moon earlier held formal talks at the South Korean president’s official residence, where Moon told Trump he hoped his visit would serve as a “turning point in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.”
Speaking earlier at a meeting with U.S. and South Korean servicemen at Camp Humphreys, a U.S. military installation in South Korea, Trump said: “Ultimately, it will all work out. Because it always works out — has to work out.”
Trump arrived in South Korea on November 7 from Japan, where he secured Tokyo’s support for Washington’s position that “all options are on the table” regarding Pyongyang.
During his 24-hour stay in South Korea, Trump does not plan to visit the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
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