While Vice-President Mike Pence was in South Korea Monday, making it clear that the United States will pressure North Korea to curtail its nuclear program, at least one congressman representing South Florida supports an aggressive stance against Kim Jong-un.
Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said Monday in Immokalee that North Korea's nuclear abilities - coupled with that nation's recent missile tests - is a bad combination. He believes that China - the only major ally North Korea has - is the best hope for putting diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang to cut back its nuclear ambitions.
"It's true that the North Korean leader is a mental case," Diaz-Balart said. "It's also true, I believe, that China can do a lot more to control his ambitions, and I don't think they're doing enough."
"And frankly, I don't think in the past that the United States has done enough to pressure China, so that they can pressure the North Korean nut case," Diaz-Balart added.
Asked if the U.S. should threaten military intervention if North Korea continues testing missiles, he said that all options remain on the table.