By Lee Haye-ah
WASHINGTON, July 18 (Yonhap) -- The United States will do everything it can to stop North Korea's nuclear and missile programs even if it means the use of military force, an influential senator said Tuesday.
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the remark during a conference hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, saying Washington remains committed to defending it allies in the region.
"I believe U.S. policy toward North Korea should be straightforward," he said in a keynote speech. "The United States will deploy every economic, diplomatic, and if necessary, military tool at our disposal to deter Pyongyang and to protect our allies."
Washington has stood for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula since 1992, and even though it hopes to achieve the goal through peaceful means, "all options are on the table," the senator emphasized.
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