President Trump warned a "major, major conflict" with North Korea could result from the ongoing standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he said he hoped diplomacy would prevail.
In an exclusive Oval Office interview with Reuters ahead of the 100-day benchmark in his administration, Trump candidly acknowledged that the international situation could go off the rails.
"There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," Trump said.
"We'd love to solve things diplomatically, but it's very difficult," he added.
Trump also said South Korea should pay for the $1 billion U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defense system in place to protect it from an attack from the north.
The wide-ranging interview also included Trump's plan to defeat the Islamic State terror network.
"I have to say, there is an end. And it has to be humiliation," he said, when asked about what the endgame was for defeating Islamist violent extremism.
But talk was dominated by the North Korea situation, which has vexed past presidents, but seems to have reached a fever pitch amid repeated threats and new tests of missiles by Kim Jong-un. READ MORE
