Although North Korea will face sanctions for its provocative acts, it is not too late for Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Friday.

Campbell, making his first regional tour after assuming his post last month, met with Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and senior officials in Tokyo.

"Down this path lies higher tensions and much greater challenges," he told reporters regarding North Korea's defiant acts, adding that the United States will work with allies including Japan to implement appropriate sanctions against the reclusive state.