When President Donald Trump visited South Korea many expected him to let loose on North Korea. Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un have been trading insults and threatening to destroy each other for months. The escalating enmity between the two leaders has many fearing that we could be on the brink of World War 3. As reported by the Inquisitr last week, intelligence sources had claimed that North Korea was planning a nuclear or missile test during President Trump’s visit to Asia. To date, that has not happened.
To the surprise of many people, President Trump’s address to the South Korean National Assembly featured little of the bellicose rhetoric he normally uses when discussing North Korea. As reported by CNN , Trump’s “tone was more subdued, and he proposed what some perceived as a conditional olive branch ” to the North Korean regime. Trump suggested that the North Korean people would be much “better off” if Kim Jong-un abandoned his nuclear ambitions.
As reported by the BBC , President Trump spoke directly to North Korea’s leadership, urging them to discard their nuclear program and weapons.
“They are putting your regime in grave danger. Every step you take down this dark path increases the peril you face.”
“North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned. It is a hell that no person deserves.”
“Today, I hope I speak not only for our countries but for all civilized nations when I say to North Korea: ‘Do not underestimate us. Do not try us’.”
What President Trump has made clear is that there is a diplomatic solution to the USA vs. North Korea conflict. That solution depends upon North Korea agreeing to a “complete, verifiable, and total” abandonment of their nuclear program. Sadly, that is a scenario that experts on North Korea do not believe that Kim Jong-un will accept. As explained in the CNN report, North Korea’s response to Trump’s speech isn’t exactly encouraging, calling Trump a “mad dog” and saying that they had already “heard enough” from the U.S. President.
“We don’t care about what that mad dog [Trump] may utter because we’ve already heard enough.”
“The United States is threatening us with nuclear aircraft carriers and strategic bombers. They are challenging us with the most vicious and demeaning provocations but we will counter those threats by bolstering the power of justice in order to take out the root cause of aggression and war.”
As reported by the Independent , President Trump has once again reiterated the role that both China and Russia have to play in solving the North Korea problem. China is North Korea’s only ally and its major trading partner. Trump believes that China could fix the threat posed by North Korea “quickly and easily.” President Trump is believed to be putting pressure on Chinese leader Xi Jinping, to impose ever tougher sanctions on North Korea.
Over 90 percent of North Korea’s trade is with China, so pressure from China could starve Kim Jong-un of the money his regime needs to further its nuclear ambitions.
Obviously, no one wants to see the conflict between the U.S. and North Korea descend into armed conflict. The stakes are too high, any military action could easily lead to World War 3. President Trump will be hoping that both China and Russia will do everything in their power to avoid that doomsday scenario.
[Featured Image by Lee Jin-man/AP Images]
