U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis said that Washington is ready to use military options to deal with North Korea if it has to.
  
[Sound bite: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson]
"We are prepared. We are prepared militarily. We are prepared with our allies to respond, if that is necessary. That is not our preferred pathway. And that was -- that's been made clear as well."
 
[Sound bite: U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis]
"Together, we will deter and if necessary defeat any threat. Any initiation of hostilities will be met with an effective and overwhelming response."
"Very simply, in the event of a missile launch towards the territory of Japan, Guam, the United States, Korea, we would take immediate specific actions to take it down."

Tillerson and Mattis spoke to reporters Thursday following the Security Consultative Committee or “2+2” meeting in Washington with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera.

The meeting came after North Korea revealed its potential military plan to fire missiles toward the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, which North Korean media said Kim Jong-un has not approved yet. 
 

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