PANMUNJOM, KOREAN DEMILITARIZED ZONE, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U .S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis peered across South Korea’s heavily fortified border with the North on Friday, saying America’s goal was not to wage war with Pyongyang but to convince leader Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear arsenal.

“North Korean provocations continue to threaten regional and global security despite unanimous condemnation by the United Nations Security Council,” Mattis said in prepared remarks as he visited the demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing the peninsula.

“As Secretary of State Tillerson has made clear, our goal is not war, but rather the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.” (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Lincoln Feast)