North Korea鈥檚 Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General assembly at the UN headquarters in New York on September 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD
North Korea鈥檚 foreign minister assailed US President Donald Trump at the United Nations on Saturday, deriding him as a 鈥渕entally deranged鈥� leader whose threats had increased the chances of military confrontation.
Ri Yong-ho told the General Assembly that Trump鈥檚 vow to 鈥渢otally destroy鈥� his country if necessary had made 鈥渙ur rockets鈥� visit to the entire US mainland all the more inevitable.鈥�
Describing Trump as a 鈥渕entally deranged person full of megalomania,鈥� Ri said the US leader who 鈥渉olds the nuclear button鈥� posed 鈥渢he gravest threat to international peace and security today.鈥�
In his first address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump called leader Kim Jong-Un a 鈥淩ocket Man鈥� on a 鈥渟uicide mission,鈥� prompting Kim to warn in turn that the US president would 鈥減ay dearly鈥� for his threat.
Ri accused Trump of turning the United Nations into a 鈥済angsters鈥� nest where money is respected and bloodshed is the order of the day,鈥� and of insulting Kim.
鈥淣one other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission,鈥� he declared.
The North Korean nuclear crisis has dominated this year鈥檚 gathering of world leaders at the United Nations amid fears that the heated rhetoric could accidentally trigger a war.
North Korea in recent weeks detonated its sixth nuclear bomb and has test-fired intercontinental missiles 鈥� saying it needs to defend itself against hostility from the United States and its allies.
Trump later responded on Twitter, insulting Kim once more and appearing to threaten both men.
鈥淛ust heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won鈥檛 be around much longer!鈥� he wrote late Saturday night.
Nuclear hammer of justice
The United States led a push at the United Nations for tough sanctions that were adopted on September 11, and has imposed unilateral measures to punish firms that do business with North Korea.
Calling the sanctions resolutions unjustified, Ri said that Pyongyang was left with no other choice but to respond with the 鈥渘uclear hammer of justice.鈥�
He stressed that North Korea鈥檚 nuclear drive was aimed at developing a 鈥渨ar deterrent鈥� and declared that his country was a 鈥渞esponsible nuclear weapon state.鈥�
North Korea will take 鈥減reemptive action鈥� if the United States and its allies attempt to carry out a 鈥渄ecapitating operation on our headquarters or military attack against our country,鈥� he said.
Declaring that the missile and nuclear tests were a source of 鈥減restige鈥� for his country, Ri said sanctions would not succeed in forcing his government to change course.
Ri then met for 30 minutes with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who expressed concern over the escalating tensions and emphasized the need for a political solution, a UN spokesman said.
Just hours before Ri took the UN podium, US bombers flew off the east coast of North Korea, flying the furthest north of the demilitarized zone of any US aircraft this century.
The Pentagon said the mission was a 鈥渄emonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the president has many military options to defeat any threat.鈥�