US Vice-President Mike Pence has said that America’s era of strategic patience with North Korea is over. He made the remarks at the demilitarised zone, the area dividing the two Koreas, during a visit to South Korea to reaffirm ties. His visit comes amid escalated tensions on the peninsula, with heated rhetoric from both North Korea and the US. Mr. Pence arrived in Seoul yesterday, hours after North Korea carried out a failed missile launch.

Today, the US and South Korea launched a joint air force military exercise to ensure readiness against North Korea.

United States says, it is working with its allies and China on a range of options on North Korea.

In an interview, the US top Security Adviser Lieutenant General HR McMaster said, tensions are mounting over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes and US is working together with its allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options.

He said there is consensus with China that this kind of situation could not be continued. The comments came after a failed missile test launch by North Korea and a massive military parade.

Pyongyang has already conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches in contravention of UN resolutions.