U.S. Reaction To North Korea's Recent Missile Test

Passengers watch a TV screen broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Reuters: Few good options in Trump arsenal to counter defiant North Korea

Despite his campaign vows to take a tougher line with North Korea, President Donald Trump's restrained public reaction to Pyongyang's first ballistic missile launch on his watch underscores that he has few good options to curb its missile and nuclear programs.

The responses under consideration - which range from additional sanctions to U.S. shows of force to beefed-up missile defense, according to one administration official - do not seem to differ significantly so far from the North Korea playbook followed by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.

Even the idea of stepping up pressure on China to rein in a defiant North Korea has been tried - to little avail - by successive administrations. But Beijing is showing no signs of softening its resistance under a new U.S. president who has bashed them on trade, currency and the contested South China Sea.

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More News On U.S. Reaction To North Korea's Recent Missile Test

North Korea tests ballistic missile; U.S. to avoid escalation -- Reuters
Trump Responds to North Korean Missile Launch With Uncharacteristic Restraint -- NYT
Tough-talking Trump may defer to China for help on North Korea -- CNBC
Defending against North Korea nuclear and missile threats is 'very very high priority', Trump says -- IBTimes
Trump Faces Test Over North Korea Missile -- WSJ
North Korea's trial missile firing is Donald Trump's first real global test as President -- Independent editorial

Update: U.S. Secretary of Defense Mattis indicated last week what the U.S. position on North Korea will be .... Here Mattis confirms US on sidelines (Korea Times).