Pentagon chief visits DMZ

WASHINGTON—Days after North Korea threatened to test a nuclear weapon above ground, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis visited the Demilitarized Zone that divides that country from South Korea and declared: “Our goal is not war.”

On Friday, he visited the heavily fortified border area, where U.S. and South Korean troops maintain a constant presence opposite North Korean forces. Mattis stressed the need for a “diplomatic solution” to the tensions with Pyongyang, which have been building under President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly sent more provocative signals, especially on Twitter.

“North Korean provocations continue to threaten regional and world peace, and despite unanimous condemnation by the United Nations’ Security Council, they still proceed,” Mattis said. “As Secretary of State (Rex) Tillerson has made clear, our goal is not war but rather the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”

A senior North Korean official told CNN on Wednesday to take “literally” the isolated nation’s threats that it might conduct an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific.

That would be a major escalation. All six of North Korea’s previous nuclear tests have been underground. No nation has conducted an atmospheric nuclear test since China in 1980.

During his visit, Mattis was joined by South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo.

Song, acknowledging that North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles, added that the weapons “should never be used.”

“Should they ever use it, they will be faced with the strong might” of joint South Korean and American forces, Song said.