NKorea nuclear attack would trigger 'overwhelming response' - Mattis

SEOUL: Any nuclear attack by North Korea would trigger an "effective and overwhelming" response, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said in Seoul Friday as he sought to reassure Asian allies rattled by President Donald Trump's isolationist rhetoric.

Mattis was in the South Korean capital before going on to Tokyo, on the first overseas tour by a senior Trump administration official as concerns rise about the direction of US policy in the region under the protectionist and fiery leader.