US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Seoul meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se amid heightened tensions spurred by North Korea's recent nuclear threats and provocations. Photo by CNN
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said an anticipated missile launch by North Korea would be a "provocative act" and "huge mistake".
“It is a huge mistake for him to choose to do that because it will further isolate his people ... who are desperate for food not missile launches, who are desperate for opportunity not for a leader who wants to flex his muscles in this manner," he said on Friday.
"Kim Jong-un needs to understand - and I think he probably does - what the outcome of a conflict would be," he added.
John Kerry said that the United States is prepared to enter into talks with North Korea, but only if it is serious about negotiating the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Kerry is in Seoul meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se amid heightened tensions spurred by North Korea's recent nuclear threats and provocations.
He landed in Seoul, about 30 miles from the demilitarized zone separating the two countries. The Korean peninsula is rife with tensions over the belligerent threats issued by Pyongyang.
The United States will defend itself and its allies if needed, Kerry said.
"North Korea will not be accepted as a nuclear power," he said at a news conference with Yun. "The rhetoric that we are hearing is simply unacceptable."