North Korean President Kim Jong Un hasn’t been viewed in the best light by U.S citizens as a result of his antics with President Donald Trump and his irresponsible ballistic missile testing. As a result, President Trump announced in November that he had decided to relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. North Korea responded to that announcement by denouncing Trump’s decision and calling it a “serious provocation and violent infringement.” The spokesman also said that the North’s “deterrence will be further strengthened” — and that the country “must continue to keep the treasured nuclear sword in our hands more tightly” as long as Washington continued with its “hostile policy” against the North.
Kim has been involved with numerous controversies since taking over on December 17, 2011. This has included allegedly ordering the assassination of his half-brother back in February, multiple human rights violations surrounding the detention of U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae back in 2013, and threatening to declare war on the United States over The Interview, a comedy movie that depicted him in an immature and idiotic way in 2014. It’s safe to say that the “Rocket Man,” as Trump has dubbed him, doesn’t get over things so quickly.
It looks like that he has found his match with President Trump, who tweeted “Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me ‘old,’ when I would NEVER call him ‘short and fat?’ Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!” Trump tweeted back on November 11 after Kim called him a dotard. Trump has called on nations to stop financing and trading with North Korea.
Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having the capability to strike the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile, using military force if necessary. This could possibly have a drastic effect on one of the most important events of 2018, the Winter Olympics, which are being held at Pyeongchang, South Korea. The interest level for this event has been low compared to the 2014 event in Sochi, and the 2010 event in Vancouver, only selling less than 50% of its sales targets, as a result of the unpredictability with Kim and North Korea just a few miles away from the event. It has even been reported that there have been anti-terror drills in South Korea to prepare for any last-minute attacks by a provoked Kim.
We can only hope that Trump and Kim can peacefully hash out their differences, so we don’t have a World War III on our hands.