ESCALATING

Pence: ‘All Options on the Table’ With North Korea

“All options are on the table” to halt missile program.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned that the “era of strategic patience” with North Korea is over as he kicked off his 10-day Asia tour. Speaking from a joint U.S.-South Korean base near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea on Monday, Pence said the White House is counting on China to help ease tensions with an increasingly belligerent North Korea. The vice president’s comments came hours after North Korea’s latest missile test failed, exploding only a few seconds after launch on Sunday. Calling the North’s latest test a “provocation,” Pence said it serves as a “reminder” of the dangers facing the region. The U.S. plans to resolve the conflict with North Korea by “peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary,” he told reporters. Pence also praised the “ironclad” alliance the U.S. has with South Korea, saying “all options are on the table” to get North Korea to halt its missile program.