US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In interacted over the phone and Trump was curious to know how much the latest round of sanctions has hurt Kim Jong Un, the ’Rocket Man.' Trump has coined this new name for Kim probably because of his obsession with rockets. Trump has also tweeted about ‘long gas lines’ in North Korea whose oil supply could take a beating due to the latest sanctions.
Drawing up tentative plans
Daily Mail UK reports that President Donald Trump and President Moon Jae-in had a telephonic conversation to discuss the grim situation in the region including threats posed by Kim’s regime.
Trump was curious to know about the impact of the sanctions on North Korea. He expected there would be long queues at gas filling stations but, that may not happen. The number of personal cars are not many, and motorable roads in the country are few. Ownership of private vehicles and travel is restricted, and most of the vehicles seen in public belong to the military.
The White House has confirmed that Trump and Moon have discussed options to strengthen the defense mechanisms and exert more economical and diplomatic pressure on Kim Jong Un. The launch of the ballistic missile, which went flying over Hokkaido in Japan, also came up for discussion.
North Korea is a matter of concern for both the United States and South Korea and North’s activities, related to its nuclear weapons, continue in spite of sanctions.
Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in plan to discuss the escalating threat posed by North Korea when they meet at the United Nations General Assembly next week.
Kim is sending messages
North Korea has defied the international community by firing ballistic missiles over Japan. It has sent two of them in a single month, and both have dropped in the Pacific Ocean.
These can be interpreted as possible messages that Kim Jong Un wants to send out to the United States who have a military base in Guam. Both Hokkaido and Guam are equidistant from North Korea and are within reach of its missiles.
Pyongyang had also detonated a hydrogen bomb which is its most powerful weapon as on date and is improving the performance of its weapons with every test.
Kim is not bothered by sanctions and has demonstrated his strengths. He could have sent his message, seeking a peaceful solution, when he sent ballistic missiles flying over Japan.
Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in must decipher Kim’s message and try to evolve a solution. They must ensure that there is no confrontation with nuclear weapons.
