Fox News reports that “North Korea will be casting a dark — and nuclear — shadow over U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ first foray abroad.

“When Mattis calls on South Korea and Japan from Wednesday he will be visiting Washington’s two staunchest allies in Asia. Both host tens of thousands of American troops and both will be looking for reassurances the new administration in the U.S. is not going to drop the ball on North Korea.”

“North Korea, racing ever closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the U.S. mainland, is without doubt already one of the biggest security challenges on new President Donald Trump’s plate. Lately, Pyongyang has been taking a wait-and-see stance toward Washington, hoping Trump might be willing to roll back America’s ‘hostile policies.'”