It was only a matter of time before North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong un, responded to the American President’s recent remarks aimed not only at his nation, but at Kim personally.  In his first time addressing the United Nations, President Trump once again referred to Kim Jong un as “Rocket Man on a suicide mission” a; throwback to a recent post on Twitter.  He also said in no uncertain terms that if the United States was forced to, it would destroy Kim’s nation.

“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” he said.

Kim, who is no stranger to WWE style geopolitical rhetoric, responded to the President’s remarks before the UN on Thursday, as did North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

“A frightened dog barks louder,” Kim said of President Trump’s speech on Thursday. “He is surely a rogue and a gangster fond of playing with fire, rather than a politician.”

Ri Yong Ho was scheduled to speak before the UN General Assembly on Friday, but has dropped out since President Trump’s Tuesday address.  He did however tell the media on Thursday that North Korea is now planning to conduct yet another nuclear test, this time of the same thermonuclear (hydrogen bomb) technology demonstrated on September 3^rd, but over the Pacific Ocean.

“This could probably mean the strongest hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean. Regarding which measures to take, I don’t really know since it is what Kim Jong un does,” Ri said, insinuating the decision would ultimately be up to Kim.

I am now thinking hard about what response he could have expected when he allowed such eccentric words to trip off his tongue,” Kim said to North Korea’s state owned KCNA. “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard (weak older person) with fire.”

Although Kim Jong un is often quoted in North Korean media, it is highly uncommon for Kim to provide the quote himself.  In North Korea, Kim’s statements carry more weight than any formal governmental document.

Now that Trump has denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world and made the most ferocious declaration of a war in history that he would destroy North Korea,” Kim said, “we will consider with seriousness exercising of a corresponding, highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history.”

North Korea has conducted 16 ballistic missile test launches since President Trump took office in January, as well as one atomic detonation that experts believe to have been a hydrogen bomb, which is far more advanced and powerful than any nuclear warhead previously believed to be in Kim’s arsenal.  Experts now agree that it is likely that Kim Jong un’s North Korean regime will have a fully functional ICBM capable of targeting much of the U.S. mainland within the next few months.

Image courtesy of North Korea’s state owned KCNA