Donald Trump has warned that a "major, major conflict" with North Korea is possible, as the US president reflected on his first 100 days in the White House.
In an interview ahead of Saturday’s milestone, Mr Trump said he favoured diplomatic engagement with the rogue state but that this was proving difficult.
His comments were echoed by secretary of state Rex Tillerson at a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Friday. Mr Tillerson said the threat from North Korea was "real" and urged countries to downgrade their economic relationship with the country.
“It’s time for us to take back control of the situation. The threat of a North Korean nuclear threat on Seoul or Tokyo is real, and it is likely only a matter of time before North Korea develops the capability to strike the US mainland,” he said.
Direct talks
Earlier, however, Mr Tillerson suggested that the United States would be prepared to enter into direct talks with Kim Jong-un.
In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters – one of a series of interviews and appearances scheduled to mark his 100th day in office – Mr Trump admitted that he had expected the job of US president to be easier. “I loved my previous life. I had so many things going. This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.”
He said that, as the president, “you’re really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can’t go anywhere. I like to drive. I can’t drive any more”.
Mr Trump is due to hold a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Saturday night, to mark his 100th day in office.
In a boost for the president, the US Congress on Friday averted a government shutdown that would have coincided with Mr Trump’s 100th day in office.
Healthcare Bill
The House of Representatives and Senate passed a short-term funding bill that will carry funding over the weekend when money for various federal government payments was due to expire. Representatives will continue to negotiate over the weekend in a bid to present a more long-term bill by next Friday.
Both Republicans and Democrats have been eager to avoid a repeat of the shutdown that forced government agencies to close in 2013 for 17 days.
Among the last-minute sticking-points was an attempt by Republicans to revive the healthcare Bill that would replace Obamacare, but a vote will now not take place in the coming days.
