UNITED NATIONS Secretary of State Rex W.

Tillerson said on Friday that the Unite

d States was keeping all options on the table if diplomacy failed to persuade Nort
h Korea to halt its nuclear weapons program.
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, Mr. Tillerson called for stiffe
r international sanctions against North Korea and threatened to impose sanctions
on third parties that continued to cooperate with the country. He also demanded
that the North dismantle its nuclear weapons program before talks could begin.
The more we bide our time, the sooner we will run out of it, he said. All options f
or reacting to future provocations must remain on the table.
Sign up for the Morning Briefing Newsletter.
He added, North Korea must take concrete steps to reduce the threat that its ille
gal weapons programs pose to the United States and our allies before we can cons
ider talks.

Mr. Tillerson s speech was his first before the United Nations and represented ste
pped-up attention by the Trump administration to the growing North Korean nuclea
r and ballistic missile threat.
China has insisted on what it calls a parallel approach, calling on the United S
tates to stop its military buildup on the Korean Peninsula in exchange for North
Korea s suspension of missile tests. North Korea is already under a raft of stiff
sanctions from the Security Council and has been found to repeatedly violate th
em.
The United States has so far rejected China s plan, and North Korea has yet to acc
ept it, either.
China s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, called for a suspension of joint milita
ry exercises between the United States and South Korea and warned against provoca
tive rhetoric or action.
He also pushed back sharply against the American line that China holds the key t
o persuading North Korea to suspend its nuclear program. Others need to show poli
tical wisdom, he said.
He said the resumption of talks could tamp down the nuclear threat, pointing out
that since talks broke down, North Korea has stepped up its nuclear tests.
Mr. Tillerson was scheduled to meet with Mr. Wang after the Security Council mee
ting.
The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, who was called on by Mr.
Tillerson to give an update on the situation on the Korean Peninsula before the
other ministers spoke, said that the absence of communication channels with the
D.P.R.K. is dangerous, using the initials for North Korea.
We need to act now, Mr. Guterres said.
The secretary of state s appearance took place a day after President Trump told Re
uters in an Oval Office interview, There is a chance that we could end up having
a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely.
Mr. Trump also criticized South Korea, a crucial ally in the struggle to get the
North to stop its weapons programs.
In remarks that are likely to be cheered in Beijing, Mr. Trump said he wanted So
uth Korea to pay the cost of the advanced missile defense system, which he estim
ated at $1 billion. And he said he intended to renegotiate or terminate a trade
pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with the country.
UNITED NATIONS Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said on Friday that the Unite
d States was keeping all options on the table if diplomacy failed to persuade Nort
h Korea to halt its nuclear weapons program.
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, Mr. Tillerson called for stiffe
r international sanctions against North Korea and threatened to impose sanctions
on third parties that continued to cooperate with the country. He also demanded
that the North dismantle its nuclear weapons program before talks could begin.
The more we bide our time, the sooner we will run out of it, he said. All options f
or reacting to future provocations must remain on the table.
Sign up for the Morning Briefing Newsletter.
He added, North Korea must take concrete steps to reduce the threat that its ille
gal weapons programs pose to the United States and our allies before we can cons
ider talks.

Mr. Tillerson s speech was his first before the United Nations and represented ste
pped-up attention by the Trump administration to the growing North Korean nuclea
r and ballistic missile threat.
China has insisted on what it calls a parallel approach, calling on the United S
tates to stop its military buildup on the Korean Peninsula in exchange for North
Korea s suspension of missile tests. North Korea is already under a raft of stiff
sanctions from the Security Council and has been found to repeatedly violate th
em.
The United States has so far rejected China s plan, and North Korea has yet to acc
ept it, either.
China s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, called for a suspension of joint milita
ry exercises between the United States and South Korea and warned against provoca
tive rhetoric or action.
He also pushed back sharply against the American line that China holds the key t
o persuading North Korea to suspend its nuclear program. Others need to show poli
tical wisdom, he said.
He said the resumption of talks could tamp down the nuclear threat, pointing out
that since talks broke down, North Korea has stepped up its nuclear tests.
Mr. Tillerson was scheduled to meet with Mr. Wang after the Security Council mee
ting.
The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, who was called on by Mr.
Tillerson to give an update on the situation on the Korean Peninsula before the
other ministers spoke, said that the absence of communication channels with the
D.P.R.K. is dangerous, using the initials for North Korea.
We need to act now, Mr. Guterres said.
The secretary of state s appearance took place a day after President Trump told Re
uters in an Oval Office interview, There is a chance that we could end up having
a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely.
Mr. Trump also criticized South Korea, a crucial ally in the struggle to get the
North to stop its weapons programs.
In remarks that are likely to be cheered in Beijing, Mr. Trump said he wanted So
uth Korea to pay the cost of the advanced missile defense system, which he estim
ated at $1 billion. And he said he intended to renegotiate or terminate a trade
pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with the country.