Story highlights Tillerson said Trump was not seeking a war, saying tweets were to 'motivate action'

US, South Korea military drills to begin Monday, infuriating North Korea

Washington (CNN) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday his diplomatic efforts will continue as long as they possibly can despite the saber-rattling on both sides of the Pacific.

"Those diplomatic efforts will continue until the first bomb drops," Tillerson said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Tillerson's comments came a day before the latest US-South Korea military exercises off the Korean Peninsula, which Pyongyang claims are rehearsals for a US-led invasion . The US says the drills are defensive in nature.

Tillerson said prioritizing diplomacy to try to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions is President Donald Trump's preferred avenue. Despite a statement on Twitter that suggested diplomacy won't work, the President wants to avoid violence, Tillerson said.

"The President has also made clear to me that he wants this solved diplomatically," Tillerson said. "He is not seeking to go to war."