Isn't Trump going to do exactly what Tillerson said, start talks?
It's not the same. We put increasing pressure on the little rocket man with a show of military force and stiff sanctions and China helped too, though at a much lower level of effort. The combined efforts squeezed him enough that he is now calling for talks without us removing any of our pressure. And Kim Jong Un has said he won't do any nuclear and ballistic missile testing during the period up to the talks.
Our entering talks without holding a heavy club would only produce more of the same results as in previous administrations, and that is where Tillerson was going.