Ready to talk but North Korea should be ready to make a choice: Tillerson

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the US is ready to respond to any North Korean threat with full "range of contingencies available."

Tillerson who has been working the back channels with China and Russia to keep North Korea at bay, said: "We're ready to talk whenever they're(North Korea) ready to talk," adding that North Korea must be "ready to make a choice."

Meanwhile, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un told scientiststhat his country would continue to manufacture"more latest weapons and equipment" to "bolsternuclear force in quality and quantity".

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North Korea had recently tested the Hwasong-15 ICBM missile on August 29 which many experts believe can reach mainland United States, North Korea's state media citing Kim said: "He solemnly declared that the development of new strategic weapon systems including A-bomb, H-bomb and ICBM Hwasong-15 with indigenous efforts and technology and the realisation of the great cause of completing the state nuclear force serve as a great historic victory of our party and people of the country."

Despite the tough talk by North Korea, UN officials returning from Pyongyang said that North Korean officials had agreed to need to prevent war, however, they offered no concerete steps for talks on the issue.

"They agreed that it was important to prevent war," Jeffrey Feltman, the UN's political affairs chief told AFP.