He said that if such behavior continued, calls would grow in the international community for North Korea to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said ‘the severity of recent threats and provocations’ made it essential to bolster the security relationship.
The actions come despite a recent U.S. diplomatic overture to North Korea to discuss resuming denuclearization talks that have been stalled for the past three years.
The U.S. quietly proposed a meeting with North Korea in January, before the U.S. and South Korea began annual military exercises that North Korea regards as a provocation. The two sides, however, failed to agree on who could meet and where.
Kerry noted North Korea’s refusal to return to the table, saying ‘all they are doing now is isolating themselves further and creating greater risks to the region and to their own country.’
He said the U.S. remained open to talks but only if ‘we …. have some indication from the leader of North Korea that they are serious about engaging on the subject of their nuclear program.’
Kerry also expressed hope that the successful conclusion of a nuclear deal with Iran would send a positive message to North Korea to restart negotiations on its own atomic program.