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

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

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

"The U.S. and our allies have repeatedly reassured North Korean leaders that we seek only peace, stability and economic prosperity for northeast Asia.... In return, North Korea detonated nuclear weapons and dramatically increased its launches of ballistic missiles to threaten America and our allies," Tillerson said.

"The policy of strategic patience has ended. We are exploring a new range of diplomatic, security and economic measures. All options are on the table," he added. "North Korea must understand that the only path to a secure, economic propitious future is to abandon its development of nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction."

Tillerson also called on China to refrain from retaliating against South Korea over the ongoing deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system called THAAD on its soil, saying that it is "inappropriate" and "troubling."

"While we acknowledge Chinese opposition, its economic retaliation against South Korea is inappropriate and troubling. We ask China to refrain from such action. Instead, we urge China to address the threat that makes that necessary," he said.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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