Pence Redux

Noting that Trump had recently ordered a missile strike against Syria, the vice-president, who is in Seoul at the start of a tour of Asia, said: “North Korea would do well not to test his resolve.”

Pence, standing alongside South Korea’s acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said Washington’s commitment to its ally was “iron-clad and immutable”, and repeated that “all options are on the table” – including military action – to forestall North Korea’s quest to produce a nuclear weapon capable of striking the US mainland.

Any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang, he added, would be met with “an overwhelming and effective response”, a day after the regime conducted a failed missile launch.

[...]

“President Trump has made it clear that the patience of the United States and our allies in this region has run out and we want to see change,” he said.

“We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.”

Pence said Trump was hopeful China would cooperate, adding: “But as the president has made very clear, either China will deal with this problem or the United States and our allies will.”

  Guardian

Actually, I don't think he mentioned allies.

“My father served in the Korean war with the US army, and on the way here we actually saw some of the terrain my father fought on alongside Korean forces to help earn your freedom,” Pence said in an address at Camp Bonifas. “We are grateful to all of those who each and every day stand in the gap for freedom here at the DMZ. It is a testament to the unshakeable bond between our people.”

I wonder if his father played any part in the slaughter of  hundreds of South Korean refugees.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman said that tensions needed to be eased on the Korean peninsula to resolve the situation. “As declared repeatedly, the current state of the Korean peninsula is highly complicated and highly dangerous,” Lu Kang said in a briefing, responding to a question over North Korea’s failed missile launch.

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

That's not how we roll. Not any more.

Despite its failure, Sunday’s missile launch was seen as a test of Trump’s resolve after the president warned that he had not ruled out military action against North Korea and sent a US aircraft carrier battle group towards the peninsula.

It's also possible that it was in response to Trump's beligerant remarks about North Korea. You're not supposed to take any measures to defend yourself from the might and will of the United States. You're supposed to cower and shake.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.