Story highlights When asked about military action, Trump responded: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see."

Trump cast the launch as a direct snub of China

Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump has refused to rule out the use of military force against North Korea, just hours after Pyongyang launched a missile test in defiance of international pressure.

In an interview for CBS's "Face the Nation," Trump downplayed the significance of North Korea's "small missile launch," which occurred early Saturday. But when asked by host John Dickerson if he would consider military action in response to another nuclear test, Trump responded: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see."

Still, Trump expressed tepid admiration for North Korea's leader.

"People are saying, 'Is he sane?' I have no idea," the President said, before noting Kim Jong Un's rise to power at a young age.

"So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie," he said. "But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what's been going on for a long period of years continue."