US Defense Secretary James Mattis played the role of diplomat during a trip to Thailand this week, calling for peace on the Korean Peninsula, Sputnik reported.
"Do we have military options in defense if we're attacked, [or if] our allies are attacked? Of course we do. But everyone is out for a peaceful resolution," Mattis said Thursday. The US is not "rushing to war" with North Korea despite Pyongyang's continued nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs, the Marine Corps general noted.
North Korea conducted its six nuclear test this year and continues to refine its ballistic missile technology through a series of missile launches.
Mattis met with Thai officials Thursday after attending a meeting with defense officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the day before, Agence France-Presse reports.