South Korea’s president seeks talks with Kim Jong Un

Army personnel and people gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang July 6, 2017 to celebrate the successful test-launch of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-14.in this photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang July 7, 2017.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stressed Thursday that the Trump administration is focused on diplomatic efforts to deal with North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and does not believe North Korea’s new missile capability will lead to war. He said the goal of this is a “peaceful solution”, and “if this fails, we don’t have many good options left”.

The United States has already blacklisted one Chinese bank accused of illicit dealings with North Korea and is penalizing a Chinese shipping company and two Chinese individuals accused of facilitating illegal activities by the North. U.S. officials say they plan to look at other Chinese entities as possible targets of so-called secondary sanctions. “Let me be clear, if called upon we are trained, equipped and ready to unleash the full lethal capability of our allied air forces”.

Those two countries rejected a USA -led resolution at the United Nations this week that would have renounced North Korea for this week’s intercontinental ballistic missile test. The United States, South Korea and Japan will never accept a nuclear armed North Korea, it said.

The US has said it is prepared to use force against North Korea amid fears Pyongyang may put a nuclear warhead on top of a missile that could reach American soil.

North Korea often stages rallies in the square to mark events that it wants to underscore as particularly significant. China and Russian Federation opposed THAAD’s deployment in Korea, saying it would destabilize the power balance in the region.

But despite the joint Russian and Chinese plea, the United States and South Korea rushed to flex their muscles, and within two days, conducted two sets of live fire drills on the Korean peninsula.

Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Wednesday at a U.N. Security Council meeting that China should initiate actions to control North Korea.

The isolated, nuclear-armed North sent a chill through the worldwide community Tuesday after its missile launch, a milestone in Pyongyang’s decades-long drive for the capability to threaten the U.S. mainland with a nuclear strike.

President Moon reportedly asked China to do more during his own bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, but Xi rebuffed his request by talking about the “blood alliance” between China and North Korea.

President Donald Trump criticized North Korea’s decision on Twitter.