- Statement was written by Kim Jong Un, according to North Korean state media
- US President Trump threatened to destroy North Korea
begin quote from:
Trump is 'deranged' and will pay, N. Korea says
Why North Korean sanctions have failed
North Korea could test hydrogen bomb over Pacific Ocean, says foreign minister
Story highlights
(CNN)North
Korea's foreign minister warned Thursday that Pyongyang could test a
powerful nuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean in response to US
President Donald Trump's threats of military action.
The
country's Foreign Minister, Ri Yong Ho, told reporters in New York that
the ultimate decision, however, was up to his boss, Kim Jong Un. Ri was
due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday but has
since dropped out.
"This
could probably mean the strongest hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific
Ocean. Regarding which measures to take, I don't really know since it is
what Kim Jong Un does," said Ri.
Ri's
comments came shortly after Kim said that Trump would "pay dearly" for
threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea during his UN speech
Tuesday.
In a rare direct statement,
Kim said he "will consider with seriousness exercising of a
corresponding, highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history."
"I
am now thinking hard about what response he could have expected when he
allowed such eccentric words to trip off his tongue," Kim said. "I will
surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire."
A dotard is a senile old person.
Kim also said the comments were reflective of "mentally deranged behavior."
First-person first?
The
phrase "highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history" could be
considered an escalation in the choice of language used, said Vipin
Narang, a professor of political science at MIT and expert on deterrence
and nuclear policy.
"This is clearly trying to coerce the US into playing ball," Narang told CNN.
In
his first address to the United Nations as US President, Trump said
that the US was ready to "totally destroy" North Korea if it was forced
to defend its allies, a warning seen as unprecedented for a US president delivering an address to the world's leaders and top diplomats.
Responding
to the speech, Kim said Trump's comments amounted to an insult. "I'd
like to advise Trump to exercise prudence in selecting words and to be
considerate of whom he speaks to when making a speech in front of the
world," Kim said.
A handful of North Korea analysts believe that this is the first time Kim Jong Un has ever released a first-person statement.
"This
is unprecedented, as far as we can tell," Narang told CNN. "He was
clearly offended by the speech, and what concerns me most is the
response he says he is considering."
Asked to respond to Kim's statement, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CNN on Thursday night, "Not at this time."
North
Korea was scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly Friday night,
but dropped off of its planned roster spot. The country could still get a
slot at another time.
More sanctions
The
White House, meanwhile, took the another step in its so-called
"peaceful pressure" campaign to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear program, expanding sanctions on North Korea and those who do business with the country.
Though
the majority of North Korea's imports come from China, Treasury
Secretary Steve Mnuchin said "This action is directed at everyone" and
the steps are "in no way specifically directed at China."
The
executive order Trump inked just ahead of the lunch enhances Treasury
Department authorities to target individuals who provide goods, services
or technology to North Korea, Trump said. He said the order would also
allow the US to identify new industries -- including textiles, fishing
and manufacturing -- as potential targets for future actions.
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