Theresa May refuses to rule out military action against North Korea

Theresa May has refused to rule out military action against North Korea, after a ballistic missile was launched by the hermit state over Japan earlier this week.

As she landed in Japan, the Prime Minister insisted that the UK would be doubling down on efforts to curb the dictatorship’s weapons testing regime.

Her comments came just 36 hours after the launch of a missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which landed in the Pacific Ocean.

Mrs May refused to rule out British military action against North Korea when quizzed by reporters four times.

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‘I think what I have made clear is what the UK is looking at and what the UK doing, and that is looking at pressure on North Korea, which is discussions about further sanctions and it’s about the sort of change that China can bring. I think they are a key player in this’, she said.

‘We would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure on North Korea to stop this.’

Speaking to reporters, Mrs May said: ‘We are very clear that the actions of North Korea are illegal. I think that they are significant actions of provocation.

‘I think it is outrageous. That’s why will be working with our international partners, as we have done previously, but we will be re-doubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities.

Kim Jong-un’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes were already on the agenda for the PM’s three-day visit, which begins in Kyoto.

The visit to Japan is also being used to seal a “ambitious” post-Brexit trade deal for when the UK leaves the European Union in 2019.

Mrs May has been joined by a delegation of UK business leaders, along with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.