U.S. soon to unveil toughest-yet sanctions on N. Korea: Mike Pence
Washington will soon announce the "toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever," Pence told reporters after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, according to reports.
"Let the world know this: We will continue to intensify our maximum pressure campaign until North Korea takes concrete steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization," the U.S. vice president said.
He once again stressed the U.S. position that "all options are on the table" when it comes to the North, saying that Washington would continue to deploy its "most advanced military assets to Japan and the wider region."
Abe said, "We can never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea," warning against North Korea's "charm offensive" surrounding the PyeongChang Olympics.
"We will not allow North Korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the Olympic Games," Pence was also quoted as saying.
The meeting was held on Pence's way to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, to which North Korea dispatched a delegation of several hundred members, including cheerleaders, musicians, and Olympic athletes.
At the opening of the meeting with Abe, the vice president said the U.S. will "stand shoulder to shoulder" with its allies, including Japan and South Korea, to achieve its goal of denuclearizing North Korea, according to foreign news outlets.
"We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Japan, the people of South Korea and our allies and partners across the region until we achieve the global objective of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," he was quoted as saying.
Pence is leading a U.S. delegation for the Winter Olympics, which will kick off on Friday.
His trip to South Korea is raising cautious expectations about possible U.S.-North Korea contact on the sidelines of the sporting event, which will also be joined by high-ranking North Korean officials.
Earlier, the North informed the South that Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will be included in a high-level delegation that will make a trip here this week. The delegation will be led by the North's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam.