WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday there was "a range of options" that could be pursued against North Korea if it tests a long-range ballistic missile, including taking the issue to the U.N. Security Council.
Clinton said the United States still hoped to dissuade North Korea from a "provocative" missile launch and convince the isolated state to re-engage in six-party talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear arms program.
North Korea is reportedly preparing to test-fire a missile with the potential to reach U.S. territory, although Pyongyang says it is making preparations for launching a satellite as part of a peaceful space program.
"We will discuss a response if we are not successful in convincing them not to go forward with what is a very provocative act," Clinton told reporters at the State Department after a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
"There are a range of options available to take action against the North Koreans in the wake of a missile launch if they pursue that," she said, adding a launch would be in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution.
China is part of six-party talks to end North Korea's nuclear arms program that have been stalled for months.
"Our partners in the six-party talks are concerned about the missile launch, they are willing to address it if it does happen, with us in a variety of ways, including the Security Council," she said.
"But I don't want to talk about hypotheticals, we are still working to try to dissuade the North Koreans," she added.
Six-party talks stalled after Pyongyang complained that aid given in return for crippling its nuclear plant at Yongbyon was not being delivered as promised in the deal it struck with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
The secretive North has balked at a demand by the other powers that it commit to a system to verify claims it made about its nuclear program, leaving the talks in limbo.
Clinton noted that missiles were not part of the six-party talks but said she would like to see the issue become part of discussions with North Korea.
(Writing by John Whitesides; Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Peter Cooney)
