Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday said U.S. policies to stop North Korea's nuclear program have "failed."

“I think it’s important to recognize that the political and diplomatic efforts of the past 20 years to bring North Korea to the point of denuclearization have failed," Tillerson said during a visit to Japan, according to the Guardian.

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“That includes a period where the United States has provided $1.35 billion in assistance to North Korea as an encouragement to take a different pathway," he added.

Speaking in Tokyo, the top U.S. diplomat said his visit to the region will serve as a platform to "exchange views" on a new geopolitical approach toward Pyongyang. Tillerson will visit South Korea and China in addition to Japan.