On Wednesday, President Trump praised North Korean Leader Kim for taking a “wise” decision to put on hold plans to launch four missiles toward the tiny island of Guam which is a U.S. territory. The decision by Pyongyang has eased tension between the two nations and the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang did not hide its plan to build a nuclear-tipped warhead capable of striking the U.S. mainland to counter what it terms as U.S. aggression.
A week of threats and rhetoric
Last week was characterized by a series of threats and rhetoric by both Washington and Pyongyang.
Trump threatened that North Korea will be confronted with “fire and fury” if it threatened the U.S., which prompted Pyongyang to announce plans to launch four missiles off the coast of Japan toward the tiny Pacific island of Guam.
However, North Korean state-run KCNA media said on Tuesday that leader Kim Jong Un had put on hold plans to fire four missiles close to the U.S. territory of Guam while awaiting to see the United States next line of action.
Trump praises Kim’s decision
President Trump responded on Twitter to the decision by the North Korean leader by saying Kim Jong Un made a very wise and well thought after the decision.
Trump added that the alternative would have been very destructive and unacceptable.
Following Pyongyang’s threat, Trump had earlier threatened that the United States military was “locked and loaded” if Pyongyang decides to act unwisely.
In July, North Korea launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which were widely condemned by world leaders and prompted the United Nations Security Council to impose wider sanctions against Pyongyang.
On Wednesday, Antonio Guterres United Nations Secretary General said it was time to tone down the rhetoric and brace up diplomacy on Pyongyang, and that he had urged the U.S., Japan, China, Russia, North Korea and South Korea that he was ready to help with dialogue aim at resolving the crisis.
The U.N. chief said his office is always available and he has sent a message to the representatives of the six-party talks.
He added that the solution to the nuclear crisis must be political. Gutteres further stated that the potential risks of military confrontation are too horrific to even think of.
The U.S. has been counting on China to mount pressure on its neighbor and ally, North Korea, to have a rethink on its quest to acquire nuclear weapons.
