The U.S. is now looking at diplomacy to cool down tensions with North Korea before an “accidental war” is ignited.
"This does not need to get hotter," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told
Fox News. "We can change course here if (North Korea) will begin to come back into compliance with its international obligations, will begin to cool things down."
Secretary of State John Kerry is in contact with North Korea’s neighbors, including China, and plans a visit to the region next month.
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Kim Jong-un, the 28-year-old leader of communist North Korea has been upping his rhetoric recently. U.S. and South Korean officials initially dismissed the talk as typical saber-rattling, but Kim’s words have become increasingly hostile. He has threatened to fire nuclear missiles at the mainland U.S., though most experts think the country doesn’t have such capability.
North Korea has reportedly moved missiles to its eastern coast and the U.S. has been flying B-2 and B-52 bombers and F-22 jets near the border in shows of strength. But rather than calming tensions, they have been rising.
The U.S. fears its ally South Korea may feel pressured to attack, sparking a conflict involving North Korea’s ally China.
The State Department’s Nuland said the best bet is to convince China to talk their ally into backing down.
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