But even before Thursday’s vitriolic statements from North Korea, American officials said they were more focused for now on inflicting pain on North Korea than on luring it back to the bargaining table.
“We are not interested in half measures,” Mrs. Clinton said. “We have no desire to pursue protracted negotiations that will only lead us right back to where we have already been.”
Mrs. Clinton said the North Koreans had been intransigent in their public statements during the conference. Other senior American officials said the tone of the North’s statements was openly hostile.
