Kim Jong-un calls President Trump a ‘frightened dog,’ ‘deranged’ ‘gangster fond of playing with fire’
North Korea’s leader called President Donald Trump “a frightened dog” and a “gangster fond of playing with fire” in an official statement released Thursday.
Kim Jong Un responded to Trump’s U.N. speech in a dispatch written in the first person. South Korea’s government said it was the first such direct address to the world by any North Korean leader.
“Far from making remarks of any persuasive power that can be viewed to be helpful to defusing tension, he made unprecedented rude nonsense one has never heard from any of his predecessors,” Kim said. “A frightened dog barks louder.”
“Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime,” Trump said to the United Nations. He said of the US: “If it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”
Kim said Trump’s remarks have convinced him “that the path I chose is correct and that it is the one I have to follow to the last.”
He added that he was “thinking hard” about his response, but Trump will “pay dearly for his speech calling for totally destroying” North Korea.”
Hours later, North Korea’s foreign minister reportedly said his country may test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean to fulfill Kim’s vow to take the “highest-level” action against the United States.
Trump hit back Friday morning on Twitter.
“Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn’t mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!” he wrote.
Trump announced on Thursday that he planned to sign an executive order that would slap sanctions on individuals, companies and financial institutions that do business with North Korea, which he labeled “this criminal rogue regime.”
He said his mission was North Korea’s “complete denuclearization.”