United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis once again threatened North Korea Saturday with a "massive military response" should Pyongyang attack his country or its allies.
Speaking a day after visiting the Demilitarized Zone that separates the Koreas, Mattis reemphasized that a diplomatic solution remains Washington's preference - but added that his country also has many military options.
"Make no mistake - any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated," Mattis said in Seoul, where he was attending an annual security consultation, according to South Korean broadcasters.
"Any use of nuclear weapons will be met with a massive military response," he said at a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young Moo.
Mattis added that he could not imagine a condition under which the US would accept North Korea as a nuclear power, and that diplomacy remained the preferred way of dealing with the reclusive state.
According to a joint statement following their meeting, Mattis had reaffirmed the United States' commitment to providing deterrence for South Korea, "including the US nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile defense capabilities."
Mattis' trip to South Korea to reassure allies comes a week before US President Donald Trump is set to his first trip to the region.
The conflict with North Korea and leader Kim Jong Un, whom Trump has repeatedly threatened, is set to be one of the main points during the president's planned talks in Japan, South Korea and China.
North Korea threatened in August to fire missiles into waters near the US territory of Guam, prompting Trump to threaten to rain "fire and fury" on the reclusive nation.
North Korea's nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches have resulted in international condemnation and a tightening of economic sanctions issued by the United Nations.
Pyongyang has continued to carry out nuclear weapon tests this year in defiance of United Nations resolutions aimed at denuclearizing the reclusive nation.
The North sees nuclear weapons as a sovereign right to self-defense in the face of nearly 30,000 American troops stationed in South Korea along with regional strategic assets.
