WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump again challenged North Korean leader KimJong Un on Tuesday, boasting that the United States’ nuclear capabilitiesare “more powerful” than North Korea’s.
Trump tweeted the taunt Tuesday evening: “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Unjust stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Willsomeone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that Itoo have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one thanhis, and my Button works!”
Trump’s tweet comes one day after Kim warned the US against threateningNorth Korea.
In his New Year’s address, Kim delivered a mixed message, indicating apossible rapprochement to South Korea, while lashing out at the UnitedStates.
In the speech Monday, Kim offered to send a delegation to the WinterOlympics in South Korea next month and proposed talks to discuss the event.
At the same time, Kim warned the US that years of work on its nuclear andmissile development programmes meant that Pyongyang posed as much of athreat to the US as ever.
“The entire United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and anuclear button is always on my desk,” Kim said. “This is reality, not athreat.”
The speech drove a wedge between allies South Korea and the United States.South Korean leader Moon Jae-In on Tuesday proposed high-level talksbetween both neighbours.
Trump had responded with restraint to South Korea’s outreach.
Pyongyang has made significant strides in its nuclear and missiledevelopment programmes, having tested several intercontinental ballisticmissiles (ICBM) and a hydrogen bomb. Experts believe the entire continentalUS is now within ICBM striking range.
Trump has stepped up the pressure on the North Korean regime to give up itsnuclear development with a mix of sanctions, threats and condescendinglanguage. In August, he threatened to unleash “fire and fury like the worldhas never seen” if North Korea threatened the United States.
Trump has come to refer to Kim as “rocket man,” while the North Koreanleader in turn has referred to the US president as “the mentally derangedUS dotard”.
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, warned North Korea onTuesday against conducting another missile test.
“As we hear reports that North Korea might be preparing for another missiletest ― I hope that does not happen, but if it does ― we must bring evenmore measures to bear on the North Korea regime,” Haley said. “Thecivilised world must remain united and vigilant against the rogue state’snuclear arsenal. We will never accept a nuclear North Korea.”