US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, before the UN Security Council, said that "all options should remain on the table" when it comes to North Korea that could, according to him, carry out a nuclear attack against South Korea, Japan and possibly the US. Considering that such attack is possible, Tillerson has asked the Security Council to "act before North Korea does". Tillerson was a chairman for the meeting. Speaking in front of the Council the US Secretary of State called on the international community to fully implement UN sanctions and suspend or bring diplomatic relations to Pyongyang to a lower level.
"With every further detonation and missile test, North Korea pushes North-East Asia and the rest if the world closer to instability and a great deal of conflict," Tillerson said in front of the 15 members of Council.
"The possibility of North Korea's attack on Seoul or Tokyo is realistic," he said.
The role of China
Tillerson asked China to take advantage of its economic opportunities against their ally to prevent their nuclear and ballistic program. "We have to do everything possible from our point of view, but China represents 90 percent of North Korea's commercial exchange, China has an economic leverage over Pyongyang that is unique and its role is extremely important," Tillerson said.
Chinese diplomatic chief Wang Yi has asked North Korea to stop nuclear and missile activities, but also warned all sides that "the use of force does not resolve the differences and can only lead to a greater catastrophe." China's diplomat Wang also said: "China is not the focus of the peninsula.
The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula is not in the hands of the Chinese side."
South Korea
He stressed that deployment of the US counter-bust system in South Korea "seriously undermines" China's strategic security and harms the trust between the parties. Upon arriving at the meeting, the Chinese minister presented Beijing's proposal to stop North Korean nuclear and ballistic programs in exchange for stopping military exercises between the US and South Korea.
He considers this offer to be "reasonable". Inviting Pyongyang to stop nuclear and missile activities, Russia also warned on rhetoric against North Korea that could have "frightening consequences". "The rhetoric associated with the demonstration of force is the way in which the world really is wondering whether or not it will come to war," said Deputy Foreign Minister Gennadiy Gatilov. "A badly interpreted move could lead to the most frustrating consequences," he said.
