latest news of Us Military action against North Korea 'an option'
The US has said its policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea is over, and suggested it may decide to take pre-emptive military action.
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reached a level requiring it.
During a visit to South Korea, he also said the US was exploring a range of new diplomatic and economic measures.
He also defended the deployment of a US missile system in South Korea.
The move has angered China, but South Korea and the US say the system is needed to defend against North Korea.
Mr Tillerson spoke shortly after visiting the demilitarised zone which divides the two Koreas.
He arrived in South Korea from Japan, where he said that 20 years of efforts aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions had failed.
Asked if the possibility for military action existed, he said: "Certainly we do not want to, for things to get to military conflict."
But he said: "If they elevate the threat of their weapons programme to a level that we believe requires action, then that option's on the table."
Big shift? Analysis by Stephen Evans, BBC News, Seoul
Mr Tillerson was blunt: the previous policy had ended. Despite that assertion, though, the difference between the Obama strategy and the Trump one isn't obvious. Mr Obama had not ruled out military force and Mr Tillerson thinks sanctions might yet work.
Both administrations ruled out negotiation - though Mr Tillerson said they would be "premature" at the moment, prompting the thought that there might come a time when they were the right thing to do.China is also strongly opposed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system in South Korea. The US says the system is aimed at North Korea, but China says it will allow the US to spy on its territory.
In recent days there have been multiple reports of apparent economic retaliation aimed at South Korea by Beijing. Mr Tillerson called these actions "unnecessary and troubling".Read more >>Click here
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