International security

The White House is considering direct military action to counter North Korea

In a dramatic shift from traditional policy, an internal White House review on North Korean strategy revealed that the option to use military force, or a regime change to curb the threat of North Korean nuclear weapons was on the table, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

This review comes at the heels of a report claiming President Donald Trump believed the "greatest immediate threat" to the US was North Korea's nuclear program.

Recent provocations from the Hermit Kingdom, including the ballistic missile launch in the Sea of Japan and the assassination of Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother in Malaysia, may have provoked this shift in the policy that have many officials and US allies worried.