Seoul is within artillery range of North Korea, which beyond nuclear and conventional weapons is also believed to have a sizable chemical and biological arsenal. Asked whether there were any military options the United States could take with North Korea that would not put Seoul at grave risk, Mattis said: “Yes there are. Mattis acknowledged discussing that with his South Korean counterpart but declined to say whether that option was under consideration. Still, despite heated rhetoric and posturing in the United States and North Korea, there has been no positioning of US military assets to suggest a military conflict is imminent. Even as tensions rise, the United States and its allies have stuck to a hands-off policy when North Korea test-fires its missiles.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 18, 2017 21:22 UTC