Top U.S. diplomat says all options remain on table against N.K.

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that all options even including military choice remain on the table in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, adding that the so-called strategic patience with Pyongyang has ended.

Tillerson also urged China to refrain from retaliating against South Korea over the ongoing deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system on its soil, calling the move purely a self-defense measure.

He made the remarks during a press conference held in Seoul after talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. He is in Seoul on the second leg of his three Asian country trip following his visit to Japan.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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