Pence to North Korea: Don't test us

Vice President Mike Pence declared Monday the "era of strategic patience is over" with North Korea, expressing impatience with the unwillingness of the regime to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

On April 7, the USA struck a Syrian air base to punish the Bashar al-Assad regime for a suspected chemical attack.

The Pentagon dropped the so-called Mother of All Bombs, or the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), on ISIS tunnels and caves in Afghanistan on Thursday, which was seen as a warning to Pyongyang. Observers said these military steps sent an implicit message to a provocative Pyongyang.

North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating "a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time" and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary".

"There was a period of strategic patience but the era of strategic patience is over".

"If we are to understand the words of the USA vice president as a threat to use force unilaterally, it is course a very risky course of action", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments broadcast on state TV on Monday.

Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced US aggression and "history of interventions" on Monday and said sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.

China in February banned coal imports from North Korea after the murder, leading to a rare public spat after Pyongyang accused Beijing of "dancing to the tune of the US".

Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant global response".

In an indication that Beijing resolving the North Korea issue can act as a bargaining chip over the United States labeling China a currency manipulator, Trump tweeted Sunday: "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem?"

His 10-day tour of Asia comes as tensions grow in the wake of North Korea's latest missile test.

North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis".

After meeting for 90 minutes at Hwang's residence, the two held the joint press conference, highlighting the urgency and gravity of North Korea's nuclear threat, addressing China's unfair retaliatory measures over the deployment of the Thaad antimissile system and emphasizing the enduring nature of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

"We hope to achieve this objective through peaceful means, but all options are on the table", said Pence.

He also reaffirmed that the allies will continue to deploy a USA missile defense system, stressing the "defensive measure" is "called for by and called for the alliance".

He added, "The point we have consistently made is that each country involved should refrain from behaviors that provoke one another and fuel their tension further and that they should make efforts to ease the tense situation on the Korean peninsula".

It caused strong oppositions from regional countries, including China and Russian Federation, as it breaks strategic balance in the region and damages security interests of these countries. -South Korean installation, which is just outside the 2.5-mile wide (4 kilometers) DMZ.

The vice president earlier visited a military installation near the DMZ, Camp Bonifas, for a briefing with military leaders. The U.S. moves an huge warship to the waters off the peninsula in a display of military might.

Pence's trip to the flashpoint frontier underscored Washington's shifting policy towards the isolated state after years of nuclear and missile tests carried out in defiance of the worldwide community. Speaking alongside South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn, Pence said the American commitment to South Korea is "iron-clad and immutable".

Vice President Mike Pence assured Japan to rein in N Korea's ambition.