Nuclear clouds & flames: More sabre-rattling from N. Korea, threatening ‘suicidal’ Japan
North Korea vowed to make “nuclear clouds” over Japan, which had called for more pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs. It has also said that in case of a nuclear war, Japan will be immediately “engulfed in flames.”
The North described the behavior of the Japanese authorities, in asking the international community to exert "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang, as “little short of mad,” North Korean state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), stated on Monday. The agency also accused Tokyo, and its ally Washington, of “straining the situation on the peninsula” by countering the actions of the communist state.
“Inciting tensions on the Korean peninsula is a suicidal deed that will bring nuclear clouds to the Japanese archipelago,” KCNA said in its article.
The agency also warned that if it comes to a nuclear war, “the Japanese archipelago will be engulfed in flames in a moment,” adding that it is “self-evident.”
Earlier the communist North vowed to “sink” Japan, which is “no longer needed to exist near us,” according to KCNA.
In September, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said “not dialogue, but pressure” is necessary “to make North Korea abandon all nuclear and ballistic missile programs” in an address to the United Nations General Assembly.
The US, one of the key Japan’s allies in the region, is dismissive of the opportunity for talks with North Korea. On Monday, the White House said that “it is not the time to talk” as it does not support any conversations except those on the fate of the Americans who have been detained by the North.
Despite the US secretary of state’s earlier statement that Washington is “probing” Pyongyang to see if it is interested in dialogue and has “lines of communications” with it, US President Donald Trump apparently does not share the approach.
“He [Tillerson] is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” the president tweeted on Sunday. “Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!” another post added.
The US and North Korea have recently been embroiled in a war of words, threatening each other with military action, while Russia and China have been calling for a peaceful solution to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. A ‘double-freeze’ plan to suspend military activities was designed by Moscow and Beijing, but has been rejected by Washington.
