A manhunt is underway for a gunman accused of fatally shooting a man in Ohio while broadcasting the cold-blooded homicide on Facebook Live on Easter Sunday, police said.

Steve Stephens shot and killed 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. at 635 E. 93rd St., around 2 p.m., the Cleveland Police Department said.

Stephens is believed to be armed and dangerous, police said.

Police Chief Calvin Williams called the shooting « senseless » and is urging Stephens to turn himself in.

Shaq to pay for funeral of teen who shot himself on Instagram vid

Stephens claims to have committed other homicides, but Williams said police are not aware of other victims who are tied to him.

« It’s just a random person that he picked out, » Williams said at a press conference Sunday. « We don’t know why. »

Stephens, sporting a full beard and a dark blue, gray or black striped polo shirt, is believed to be driving a white Ford Fusion, police said.

The video posted to Facebook appears to belong to Stephens under the profile name Stevie Steve, NBC4 reported.

Wisconsin man who stole guns, wrote manifesto taken into custody

It shows the gunman walking up to a man and asking him a question before fatally shooting him in what appeared to be his head.

« Can you say ‘Joy Lane,' » the gunman asks in the video.

« Joy Lane, » the man replies.

« She’s the reason why all of this is about to happen to you, » the gunman said.

« How old are you? » the gunman asks before opening fire at the victim as he tried to protect himself with a white plastic shopping bag.

Stephens then fired his weapon once, left the victim for dead in a pool of his blood, and then walked back to his vehicle and drove away.

Godwin had just finished eating Easter dinner at his children’s home and was returning home when he was killed, WOIO-TV reported.

« He is a good guy. He’d give you the shirt of his back and I’m not just saying that for these cameras, » Godwin’s son, Robert Godwin Jr., told the TV station. « This man right here was a good man. I hate that he’s gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s not real. »

« It feels like my heart is going to stop, »Godwin’s daughter said.

Maggie Green, Stephens’ mother, told CNN her son told her he was « mad with his girlfriend. »

« That’s why he is shooting people and he won’t stop until his mother or girlfriend tell him to stop, » Green added.

Stephens works at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency in northeast Ohio that serves children and families, according to a facility spokeswoman.

« We learned about the shooting this afternoon when someone saw it on FB and notified us, » spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said in a statement to ABC News. « We are doing everything we can to help and help locate him. »

The video, which had the caption “Easter day slaughter,” was later taken down, the NBC4 reported. Stephens’ Facebook page has also been deactivated.

Stephens has written posts claiming he’s committed other killings and was shooting in the name of « Joy Lane, » according to Cleveland.com.

Facebook also condemned the shooting.

« This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, » a Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement to the Daily News. « We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.”

Tags: ohio cleveland gun violence facebook Send a Letter to the Editor Join the Conversation: facebook Tweet

CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea — President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on “the North Korea problem,” and his vice president visited a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has called the failed missile launch “a provocation,” arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pence’s visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric.

Trump’s national security adviser cited Trump’s recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president “is clearly comfortable making tough decisions.” But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, “it’s time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.”

In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. “I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese,” McMaster said on ABC’s “This Week.”

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the North’s weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: “It’s clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people.”

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed “maximum pressure and engagement,” U.S. officials said Friday. The administration’s immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North’s late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. “Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before,” he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North’s dominant trade partner.

“Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Deputy national adviser K.T. McFarland briefed the president on the failed missile launch. She advised patience with China on the issue.

“North Korea is a liability to everybody and it’s a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but it’s actually a threat to China as well,” McFarland said Sunday on “Fox News Sunday.”

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

“This morning’s provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world,” said Pence. “Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.”

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea — President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on “the North Korea problem,” and his vice president visited a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has called the failed missile launch “a provocation,” arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pence’s visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric.

Trump’s national security adviser cited Trump’s recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president “is clearly comfortable making tough decisions.” But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, “it’s time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.”

In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. “I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese,” McMaster said on ABC’s “This Week.”

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the North’s weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: “It’s clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people.”

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed “maximum pressure and engagement,” U.S. officials said Friday. The administration’s immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North’s late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. “Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before,” he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North’s dominant trade partner.

“Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Deputy national adviser K.T. McFarland briefed the president on the failed missile launch. She advised patience with China on the issue.

“North Korea is a liability to everybody and it’s a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but it’s actually a threat to China as well,” McFarland said Sunday on “Fox News Sunday.”

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

“This morning’s provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world,” said Pence. “Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.”

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A manhunt is underway for a gunman accused of fatally shooting a man in Ohio while broadcasting the cold-blooded homicide on Facebook Live on Easter Sunday, police said.

Steve Stephens shot and killed 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. at 635 E. 93rd St., around 2 p.m., the Cleveland Police Department said.

Stephens is believed to be armed and dangerous, police said.

Police Chief Calvin Williams called the shooting « senseless » and is urging Stephens to turn himself in.

Shaq to pay for funeral of teen who shot himself on Instagram vid

Stephens claims to have committed other homicides, but Williams said police are not aware of other victims who are tied to him.

« It’s just a random person that he picked out, » Williams said at a press conference Sunday. « We don’t know why. »

Stephens, sporting a full beard and a dark blue, gray or black striped polo shirt, is believed to be driving a white Ford Fusion, police said.

The video posted to Facebook appears to belong to Stephens under the profile name Stevie Steve, NBC4 reported.

Wisconsin man who stole guns, wrote manifesto taken into custody

It shows the gunman walking up to a man and asking him a question before fatally shooting him in what appeared to be his head.

« Can you say ‘Joy Lane,' » the gunman asks in the video.

« Joy Lane, » the man replies.

« She’s the reason why all of this is about to happen to you, » the gunman said.

« How old are you? » the gunman asks before opening fire at the victim as he tried to protect himself with a white plastic shopping bag.

Stephens then fired his weapon once, left the victim for dead in a pool of his blood, and then walked back to his vehicle and drove away.

Godwin had just finished eating Easter dinner at his children’s home and was returning home when he was killed, WOIO-TV reported.

« He is a good guy. He’d give you the shirt of his back and I’m not just saying that for these cameras, » Godwin’s son, Robert Godwin Jr., told the TV station. « This man right here was a good man. I hate that he’s gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s not real. »

« It feels like my heart is going to stop, »Godwin’s daughter said.

Maggie Green, Stephens’ mother, told CNN her son told her he was « mad with his girlfriend. »

« That’s why he is shooting people and he won’t stop until his mother or girlfriend tell him to stop, » Green added.

Stephens works at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency in northeast Ohio that serves children and families, according to a facility spokeswoman.

« We learned about the shooting this afternoon when someone saw it on FB and notified us, » spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said in a statement to ABC News. « We are doing everything we can to help and help locate him. »

The video, which had the caption “Easter day slaughter,” was later taken down, the NBC4 reported. Stephens’ Facebook page has also been deactivated.

Stephens has written posts claiming he’s committed other killings and was shooting in the name of « Joy Lane, » according to Cleveland.com.

Facebook also condemned the shooting.

« This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, » a Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement to the Daily News. « We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.”

Tags: ohio cleveland gun violence facebook Send a Letter to the Editor Join the Conversation: facebook Tweet

CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea — President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on “the North Korea problem,” and his vice president visited a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has called the failed missile launch “a provocation,” arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pence’s visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric.

Trump’s national security adviser cited Trump’s recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president “is clearly comfortable making tough decisions.” But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, “it’s time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.”

In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. “I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese,” McMaster said on ABC’s “This Week.”

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the North’s weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: “It’s clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people.”

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed “maximum pressure and engagement,” U.S. officials said Friday. The administration’s immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North’s late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. “Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before,” he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North’s dominant trade partner.

“Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Deputy national adviser K.T. McFarland briefed the president on the failed missile launch. She advised patience with China on the issue.

“North Korea is a liability to everybody and it’s a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but it’s actually a threat to China as well,” McFarland said Sunday on “Fox News Sunday.”

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

“This morning’s provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world,” said Pence. “Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.”

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A manhunt is underway for a gunman accused of fatally shooting a man in Ohio while broadcasting the cold-blooded homicide on Facebook Live on Easter Sunday, police said.

Steve Stephens shot and killed 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. at 635 E. 93rd St., around 2 p.m., the Cleveland Police Department said.

Stephens is believed to be armed and dangerous, police said.

Police Chief Calvin Williams called the shooting « senseless » and is urging Stephens to turn himself in.

Shaq to pay for funeral of teen who shot himself on Instagram vid

Stephens claims to have committed other homicides, but Williams said police are not aware of other victims who are tied to him.

« It’s just a random person that he picked out, » Williams said at a press conference Sunday. « We don’t know why. »

Stephens, sporting a full beard and a dark blue, gray or black striped polo shirt, is believed to be driving a white Ford Fusion, police said.

The video posted to Facebook appears to belong to Stephens under the profile name Stevie Steve, NBC4 reported.

Wisconsin man who stole guns, wrote manifesto taken into custody

It shows the gunman walking up to a man and asking him a question before fatally shooting him in what appeared to be his head.

« Can you say ‘Joy Lane,' » the gunman asks in the video.

« Joy Lane, » the man replies.

« She’s the reason why all of this is about to happen to you, » the gunman said.

« How old are you? » the gunman asks before opening fire at the victim as he tried to protect himself with a white plastic shopping bag.

Stephens then fired his weapon once, left the victim for dead in a pool of his blood, and then walked back to his vehicle and drove away.

Godwin had just finished eating Easter dinner at his children’s home and was returning home when he was killed, WOIO-TV reported.

« He is a good guy. He’d give you the shirt of his back and I’m not just saying that for these cameras, » Godwin’s son, Robert Godwin Jr., told the TV station. « This man right here was a good man. I hate that he’s gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s not real. »

« It feels like my heart is going to stop, »Godwin’s daughter said.

Maggie Green, Stephens’ mother, told CNN her son told her he was « mad with his girlfriend. »

« That’s why he is shooting people and he won’t stop until his mother or girlfriend tell him to stop, » Green added.

Stephens works at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency in northeast Ohio that serves children and families, according to a facility spokeswoman.

« We learned about the shooting this afternoon when someone saw it on FB and notified us, » spokeswoman Nancy Kortemeyer said in a statement to ABC News. « We are doing everything we can to help and help locate him. »

The video, which had the caption “Easter day slaughter,” was later taken down, the NBC4 reported. Stephens’ Facebook page has also been deactivated.

Stephens has written posts claiming he’s committed other killings and was shooting in the name of « Joy Lane, » according to Cleveland.com.

Facebook also condemned the shooting.

« This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook, » a Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement to the Daily News. « We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety.”

Tags: ohio cleveland gun violence facebook Send a Letter to the Editor Join the Conversation: facebook Tweet

CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea — President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that China was working with the United States on “the North Korea problem,” and his vice president visited a military base near the Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas a day after the North conducted a failed missile launch.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has called the failed missile launch “a provocation,” arrived at Camp Bonifas on Monday morning for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed there.

The joint U.S.-South Korean military camp is just outside the 2.5-mile-wide DMZ. Pence’s visit, full of Cold War symbolism, comes amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula.

While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential escalated U.S. response trailed Pence as he began a 10-day trip to Asia amid increasing tensions and heated rhetoric.

Trump’s national security adviser cited Trump’s recent decision to order missile strikes in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on the Assad government as a sign that the president “is clearly comfortable making tough decisions.” But at the same time, H.R. McMaster said, “it’s time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully.”

In a broadcast interview that aired on Sunday, McMaster said the U.S. would rely on its allies as well as on Chinese leadership to resolve the issues with North Korea. “I mean, North Korea is very vulnerable to pressure from the Chinese,” McMaster said on ABC’s “This Week.”

The bottom line, McMaster said, is to stop the North’s weapons development and make the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free: “It’s clear that the president is determined not to allow this kind of capability to threaten the United States. And our president will take action that is in the best interest of the American people.”

After a two-month policy review, officials settled on a policy dubbed “maximum pressure and engagement,” U.S. officials said Friday. The administration’s immediate emphasis, the officials said, will be on increasing pressure on Pyongyang with the help of Beijing.

The officials weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the results of the policy review and requested anonymity.

Pence will be tasked with explaining the policy in meetings with leaders in South Korea and Japan during the trip, which will also include stops in Indonesia and Australia. He will aim to reassure allies in South Korea and Japan that the U.S. will take appropriate steps to defend them against North Korean aggression.

A North Korean missile exploded during launch on Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The high-profile failure came as the North tried to showcase its nuclear and missile capabilities around the birth anniversary of the North’s late founder and as a U.S. aircraft carrier neared the Korean Peninsula.

A White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence said no U.S. response to the missile launch was expected because there was no need for the U.S. to reinforce the failure. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s initial understanding of the launch.

Trump, spending the Easter weekend at his Florida resort, reinforced his commitment to the armed forces under his control. “Our military is building and is rapidly becoming stronger than ever before,” he tweeted.

More directly on North Korea, the president returned to a theme of placing much onus on China for reining in the North. Last week, he said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looks for help from Beijing, which is the North’s dominant trade partner.

“Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

Deputy national adviser K.T. McFarland briefed the president on the failed missile launch. She advised patience with China on the issue.

“North Korea is a liability to everybody and it’s a threat not just to the United States, not just to South Korea, not just to Japan, not just to Russia, but it’s actually a threat to China as well,” McFarland said Sunday on “Fox News Sunday.”

Into this tense environment, Pence made his first trip to the region since taking office in January. After arriving in the South Korean capital, he placed a wreath at Seoul National Cemetery and then worshipped with military personnel at an Easter church service at the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan.

During a fellowship meal after the services, he said the tensions on the Korean peninsula had put into sharp focus the importance of the joint U.S.-South Korean mission.

“This morning’s provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world,” said Pence. “Your willingness to step forward, to serve, to stand firm without fear, inspires the nation and inspires the world.”

Along with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and other vessels into waters off the Korean Peninsula, thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops, tanks and other weaponry were deployed last month in their biggest joint military exercises. That led North Korea to issue routine threats of attacks on its rivals if they show signs of aggression.

The White House foreign policy adviser traveling with Pence told reporters that the type of missile that North Korea tried to fire on Sunday was medium-range, and that it exploded about 4 to 5 seconds after it was launched.

The North regularly launches short-range missiles, but is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, including two last year. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.