U.S. President Donald Trump has described North Korea's nuclear missile program as a "threat" to the world, and repeated that the "era of strategic patience" is over with Pyongyang.
Speaking on November 6 after a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, Trump said the two countries were working to counter the "dangerous aggressions" of of Kim Jong Un's North Korea.
The North's nuclear program is "a threat to the civilized world and international peace and stability," Trump told a news conference with Abe.
The Japanese prime minister told the same news conference that Tokyo backed Trump's stance that "all options" are on the table when it comes to North Korea, saying the two countries were "100 percent" together on the issue.
Before meeting with Abe, Trump lashed out over Japan's trade relations with the United States, saying they were "not fair and open."
"The U.S. has suffered massive trade deficits with Japan for many, many years," Trump told business leaders in Tokyo.
Trade and the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs are the main issues Trump is focusing on during his 12-day, five-country trip.
He will also visit South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
On the flight from Hawaii aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that he expects to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the trip.
"I think it's expected we'll meet with Putin, yeah," Trump said on November 5.
"We want Putin's help on North Korea, and we'll be meeting with a lot of different leaders," he said.
The most probable location for a Trump-Putin meeting would be at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Danang, Vietnam, on November 10-11.
