U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued bold proclamations during his visits to Japan and South Korea this week, claiming that "all options are on the table" in dealing with the growing threat from nuclear-armed North Korea.

According to Japanese officials, Tillerson — who railed against the U.S. diplomatic approach to the North over the past 20 years — told both Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday that Washington had ruled nothing out.

On Friday, during a visit to South Korea, Tillerson took his comments even further.