![Dark spot is North Korea, bordering the North. / [Image by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr, CC BY 2.0]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/9/3/660x290/b_502x220x82/dark-spot-is-north-korea-bordering-the-north-image-by-nasa-goddard-space-flight-center-via-flickr-cc-by-20_1556499.jpg "Dark spot is North Korea, bordering the North. / [Image by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr, CC BY 2.0]")
On September 3, President Trump slammed South Korea for their "appeasement" of North Korea via Twitter, after North Korea reportedly tested out a hydrogen bomb.
South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017
The nuclear test took place just hours before the tweet but followed one week after North Korea conducted another ballistic missile test. Since President Trump has been in office, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- the official name of the North Korean government -- have tested 13 ballistic missiles.
South Korea, U.S. Sanctions
Following the nuclear test, South Korean President called for the strongest possible response to the DPRK. But unlike President Trump's threats of war, Moon Jae-in said that he wanted the United Nations to completely isolate the DPRK with sanctions. The UN had already enforced more sanctions on Kim Jong-un's regime last month under resolution 2371. After the recent nuclear test, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley suggested tougher sanctions, but she was already wondering if more sanctions were going to work at this point. In her statement, she said that the North was "begging for war" with the United States.
Way past the point of anti-climactic results
President Trump's "appeasement" comments were seen as offensive to South Korea.
Ignoring the fact that it would be South Korea who would absorb much of the conflict should North Korea decide to attack. President Trump's rhetoric has already infuriated many in the region, especially with one statement where he said that if North Korea were to attack, the U.S. would be fine. This was seen as the President's disconnect from the realities that millions of South Koreans would face.
Trump has already taken the conflict between North Korea and the U.S. to unprecedented heights, threatening even nuclear war. Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon had even admitted in an interview before being fired from the White House, that North Korea had essentially "won" the argument. Proof of this is that DPRK has continued their missile tests and of course, conducted their seventh nuclear test.
Trump resorts to 'pressure' through trade
Given Trump's incendiary rhetoric, there's every indication that the world has seen with much anxiety what the end result is. That being that Trump is out of options where even a military one is logistically difficult. Trump has reportedly arranged to get together with his aides to discuss withdrawing from the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea. This tactic is similar to other trade agreements with other countries where he believes he can gain leverage. Aside from this, there is no indication that diplomacy or any kind of fruitful engagement would be an option.
