North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un openly stated during his annual 2017 New Year’s address that the military of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is in the “final stages in preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic rocket.”
If these proclamations are true, then North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, would be capable of striking the United States and its allies like Japan and Republic of China.
As a counter-response to Kim Jong-un’s alleged threats, the United Nations, Washington, and allies of the United States have forcefully condemned the missile tests conducted by North Korea under Kim’s orders.
Keeping the threats in mind, United States Defense Secretary Jim Mattis delivered a firm message to North Korea. Jim Mattis promised an effective and overwhelming response to any use of nuclear weapons against the United States and its allies.
“North Korea continues to launch missiles, develop its nuclear weapons program and engage in threatening rhetoric and behavior. Any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming,” Mattis added.
At the same time, Donald Trump’s administration is trying to resolve the differences with Kim Jong-un by using diplomatic ways, but the president has also considered using the military if the supreme leader of the hermit state won’t back down.
The aggressive statements from Kim’s recent address and provocative North Korean actions including nuclear threats to Japan, planning to strike South Korea, and falsely blaming the C.I.A. for sending their soldiers to assassinate the supreme leader, are nothing but manifestations of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s alleged use of nuclear diplomacy.
Tensions between the United States and North Korea started years ago, but in recent time, the conflict arose since April 7 when President Trump ordered a missile attack in Syria as a retaliatory measure to a chemical attack by Syria’s president. After the retaliatory measure, North Korean state media warned of a nuclear attack on the United States.
Check out the current update on the ongoing diplomatic and military tensions between North Korea and the United States of America.
May 9, 2017
- North Korea’s ambassador to the U.K., Mr. Choe II revealed during his first interview that Kim Jong-un is planning to test his sixth nuclear missile.
- According to Mr. Choe II, North Korea’s nuclear missile program is the only thing they have to defend their country from the United States.
- Moon Jae-in is poised to become South Korea’s first liberal president in nine years.
- If Moon Jae-in is elected as South Korean President, it is believed my experts that he could take a softer line on North Korea because he himself believes in recognizing Kim Jong-un.
- Dr. Liam McCarthy-Cotter, a specialist in East Asian politics at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Moon Jae-in has signaled that he is looking to adopt a less antagonistic and more open and diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang.”
May 8, 2017
- According to a recent update from The Sun , the United States Forces Korea (USFK) hopes to form a secret unit intelligence that will infiltrate North Korea and find enough intelligence on Kim Jong-un.
- The 524the Military Intelligence Battalion will set the said unit in the coming weeks so that they will feed back enough intelligence on Kim’s nuke program which could unleash a nuclear holocaust on California.
- KCNA reported that North Korea has detained another U.S. citizen on suspicion of “hostile acts” against Kim Jong-un’s regime.
- KCNA described Kim Hak-song as “a man who was doing business in relation to the operation of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.”
May 6, 2017
- Kim Jong-un visited the military bases near the North Korea-South Korea border.
- According to reports, the supreme leader visited military units on Jangjae and Mu islets located near Korea’s frontline Yeongpyeong Island.
- During his visit, he asked his combat units to be ready to strike their enemy countries.
- According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency , North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has examined and even considered the plan to strike South Korea if the alleged war breaks out between the two nations.
May 5, 2017
- The North Korean ministry accused the Central Intelligence Agency and South Korea’s Intelligence Service of conducting a mission to assassinate Kim Jong-un.
- North’s KCNA stated that America and South Korea “hatched a vicious plot to hurt the supreme leadership of the DPRK and those acts have been put into the extremely serious phase of implementation after crossing the threshold of the DPRK.”
May 4, 2017
- U.S. Special Operation Command head, General Raymond A. Thomas, told Congress that their commandos will be permanently based near North Korea.
- The general added that their commandos are all prepared to destroy Kim’s nuclear weaponry if the alleged war breaks out between the North Korea and the United States.
- North Korea called the Chinese government an American puppet.
- China has criticized Korea’s missiles tests and even urged Kim to stop using military measures to resolve the conflict.
- The KCNA fired back at China and stated that by befriending the United States, China had “ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of North Korea-China relations.”
May 3, 2017
- North Korea officially announced that they have arrested another U.S. citizen .
- Tony Kim or Kim Sang-Duk, who taught at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was arrested at Pyongyang’s airport on April 22.
- The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Tony had been held in their country for “committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).”
- America’s nuclear warning system, DEFCON, remained at level four.
- Chinese citizens living in North Korea have been urged to leave the country and return to their respective homes.
- According to Express , the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang began sending messages to their people, urging them to leave the country as fast as they can.
- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that the United States is leaning hard into China to see if they can persuade Kim Jong-un to stop testing his missiles.
- Mr. Tillerson added: “We are preparing additional sanctions if it turns out North Korea’s actions warrant additional sanctions.”
May 2, 2017
- The biggest news of this day is when during his interview with Bloomberg News , President Trump showed his desire to meet Kim Jong-un.
- During his interview, President Trump stated that if the circumstances are right, then he “would be honored” to meet North Korea’s supreme leader.
- Kim Jong-un has tested his new missiles and according to reports, the reason behind these tests is to show President Trump that he is not going to consider the diplomatic way of resolving the issues.
- Two government officials revealed to NBC News that the failed missile tests do not bother Kim, as it sends out a clear message to the world that the president of the hermit state is not going to stop using his military power.
May 1, 2017
- After claiming to have the Hydrogen bomb, Kim threatened to destroy an American naval submarine if the U.S. army gets any closer in the Korean waters.
- The USS Michigan was sent by America to a naval base in Busan, South Korea.
- According to reports, the nuclear-powered submarine was then joined by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group.
- North Korea’s propaganda website Uriminzokkiri warned that if the USS Michigan tried to come closer to their country, they will be “doomed to face the miserable fate of becoming an underwater ghost.”
April 30, 2017
- After candidly talking with Reuters , President Trump gave an interview to John Dickerson for Face the Nation .
- During his conversation with John, President Trump stated that according to him, Kim is a “pretty smart cookie.”
- Donald Trump has installed anti-missile defenses against the North inside South Korea, and by doing this, he has practiced brinkmanship.
April 29, 2017
- As the nuclear tension between North Korea and the United States is increasing, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte urged President Donald Trump to show restraint against Kim Jong-un.
- While speaking after the ASEAN summit, President Duterte explained that the leader of the hermit state is putting the earth on the edge and will not spare any country if he feels threatened.
- During his candid interview, President Trump openly talked about the conflict between the U.S. and North Korea.
- While speaking to Reuters , President Trump said that Kim took the control of the state at a very young age and the responsibilities of becoming the face of the country gave him a lot to take.
- After Kim’s fourth consecutive missile test failure, President Trump condemned his actions and tweeted that by missile testing, Kim has disrespected China.
North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2017
April 26, 2017
- The United States conducted a Minuteman III ICBM test in California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base.
- The test involved an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM. According to Col. John Moss, the 30th Space Wing commander, the purpose of the test was to verify the status of America’s nuclear force and demonstrate what the country is capable of if the alleged war breaks out.
April 25, 2017
- North Korea’s state-run newspaper claimed that they have the most powerful H-bomb in their arsenal and it is ready for launch any minute.
- North Korea’s newspaper Rodong Sinmun claimed that Kim Jong-un possesses the weaponry to strike at the heart of the continental United States and the majority of the Asia-Pacific region.
- Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross talked about the ongoing tension between Pyongyang and Washington. During his address, he stated that North Korea’s unlawful use of weapons is a direct threat to the United States.
- Meanwhile, President Donald Trump talked to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
- Mr. Abe claimed that Japan’s military has sent destroyers to join the USS Carl Vinson carrier group on its way to North Korea’s doorstep.
- President Xi told President Trump that the Republic of China strongly disagrees with Korea’s nuclear weapon testing and even hopes that all the parties involved in this situation will “exercise restraint and avoid aggravating the situation.”
[Featured Image by Ahn Young-joon/AP Images]