US Wants Early Results From North Korea Pressure

With international support, the Trump administration wants to exert a “burst” of economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea that yields results within months to push the communist government to change course from developing nuclear weapons.

Susan Thornton, the acting top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, says there’s debate about whether Pyongyang is willing to give up its weapons programs. She says the U.S. wants “to test that hypothesis to the maximum extent we can” for a peaceful resolution.

But signaling that military action remains possible, Thornton has told a Washington think tank that the administration treats North Korea as its primary security challenge and is serious that “all options are on the table.”

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday to galvanize international action.

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