The era of strategic patience with Pyongyang is over, warns vice-president Pence in Korea

Monday, April 17th 2017 - 08:28 UTC

Full article 1 comment

“All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country,” Pence told reporters at the demilitarized zone

United States Vice President Mike Pence has stared across the demilitarized border between North and South Korea, a day after North Korea's failed missile launch, reiterating that the US “era of strategic patience” with Pyongyang is over. Pence is on the first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show America's allies, and remind its adversaries, that the Trump administration is not turning its back on the increasingly volatile region.

The demilitarized zone is a heavily mined, four-km-wide strip of land lined with barbed wire running across the Korean peninsula, with soldiers on both sides in a continual eyeball-to-eyeball standoff.

Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, said on Monday the US would stand by its “iron-clad alliance” with South Korea and was seeking peace through strength.

“All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country,” he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side.

He said US President Donald Trump has made clear he won't talk about specific military tactics. “There was a period of strategic patience but the era of strategic patience is over,” Pence said.

The US, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest failed ballistic missile test, Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.