“Remember that it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country,” North Korea’s Foreign Minister says as he speaks to media in NYC pic.twitter.com/9uSUpTHV7Y
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 25, 2017
In New York City on Monday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho curiously assembled a fleet of reporters outside his hotel following the U.N. General Assembly, which saw President Trump take multiple shots at Kim Jong-un and his regime. In a speech, Trump said that the U.S. “might have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” He followed up this weekend by tweeting, “Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won’t be around much longer!”
This most recent threat — whether the president made it with intent to topple leadership or to obliterate North Korea as a whole — Trump didn’t make clear. However, Yong-ho made his nation’s perception evident. He feels that Trump has effectively declared war, and he says that his country now has “the right” to take down U.S. bombers:
“The whole world should clearly remember it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country. Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country.”
Of course, Yong-ho was referencing the show of force made by U.S. bombers flying north of the demilitarized zone off the North Korean coast on Saturday. And if there was any question on whether Yong-ho was referring to Trump’s tweeted threat, he clarified that this was indeed the case: “[T]he question of who won’t be around much longer will be answered then.”
Many have wondered whether or not Trump could tweet the U.S. into war, and that question may have now been answered. To further pile on the insults, Trump also used his latest travel ban to continue swiping at Kim Jong-un’s regime. And surely, another Trump tweet will soon arrive. General Kelly, are you watching?
(Via CBS News & The Independent)