And he also reaffirmed his country's alliance with South Korea. "We have reached the final stage of preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile", Kim said, adding that, "Research and development of cutting edge arms equipment is actively progressing".
-South Korean military exercises being staged now are the largest-ever "aggressive war drill" aimed at his country, formally the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
North Korea showed no let-up in its defiance after a failed missile test on Sunday, a day after putting on a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang.
While Obama's strategic patience doctrine often receives bipartisan criticism, Lavrov questioned the accuracy of the label given previous USA led sanctions against the DPRK. "And the question is, can we bring them to a point where they'll use it?" said Fran Townsend, CBS News senior national security analyst and former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush.
The visit follows Pence's trip to South Korea, where he warned that the "era of strategic patience is over", referring to the doctrine advocated by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama in dealing with Pyongyang.
President Donald Trump in Washington and Pence at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea have signaled a forceful USA stance on North Korea's recent actions.
He said the Trump administration's deployment of the Carl Vinson nuclear carrier task group to waters off the Korean Peninsula again "proves the US reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario".
China prefers peaceful resolution of North Korean crisis
The vice-president earlier visited Camp Bonifas, a military installation near the DMZ, for a briefing with military leaders. The missile was launched from Sinpo, a port city in eastern North Korea, according to a South Korean defense official .
The precondition for solving all the problems today on the Korean Peninsula is for Washington to roll back its hostile North Korea policy, said the deputy ambassador.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that China was ready to work "with all relevant countries" within the framework of the UN Security Council. China's top negotiator for North Korea's nuclear program, Wu Dawei, held talks on the missile shield and North Korea's recent actions during a visit to Seoul last week. "The UN Security Council adopted harsh sanctions against North Korea and condemned its policy", the Russian Federation foreign minister added.
Pence reassured Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the USA considers its alliance with Japan to be a cornerstone of security in the region.
Trump campaigned on an "America First" pledge, promising to overhaul trade agreements that he said hurt U.S. jobs.
The White House on Monday reiterated that China has not manipulated its currency since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
"I think it's important that North Korea knows we're not trying to pick a fight, so don't try and give us one", she said.
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