Hwang Pyong-so, a key member of Kim Jong-un&#39;s inner circle and touted as a powerful military figure, has mysteriously vanished from public life.

The vice marshal, who held the most senior position in North Korea&#39;s military, hasn&#39;t been seen in public since October 13.

This has subsequently sparked rumours that he was executed by a North Korean death squad after allegations of bribery, the local media reported.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea&#39;s spy agency reported Hwang and his deputy, Kim Won-hong, were expelled from the military&#39;s General Politico Bureau and &quot;punished.&quot;

The agency added it was looking into details about their punishment.

The news agency reported that Kim Won-hong was sentenced to one of North Korea&#39;s prison camps.

As for Hwang, reports said that Jong-un has indeed killed him.

Kim has previously killed his enemies via a variety of gruesome methods, including shooting them with anti-aircraft weaponry at a close distance and feeding them to a pack of ravenous dogs.

Hwang Pyong-so, a key member of Kim Jong-un's inner circle has mysteriously vanished from public life

Hwang Pyong-so, a key member of Kim Jong-un's inner circle and touted as a powerful military figure, has mysteriously vanished from public life. The vice marshal, who held the most senior position in North Korea's military, hasn't been seen in public since October 13. This has subsequently sparked rumours that he was executed by a North Korean death squad after allegations of bribery, the local media reported. According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's spy agency reported Hwang and his deputy, Kim Won-hong, were expelled from the military's General Politico Bureau and "punished." The agency added it was looking into details about their punishment. The news agency reported that Kim Won-hong was sentenced to one of North Korea's prison camps. As for Hwang, reports said that Jong-un has indeed killed him. Kim has previously killed his enemies via a variety of gruesome methods, including shooting them with anti-aircraft weaponry at a close distance and feeding them to a pack of ravenous dogs.

Kim Jong-un's top aide executed by North Korean death squad: Reports

US President Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589">discussed &quot;dangerous situation in North Korea&quot;</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today.

The Kremlin said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314">Trump and Putin discussed bilateral</a> relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula.

The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China&#39;s ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim&#39;s ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea&#39;s key allies to taper down Kim&#39;s ambitious nuclear plans.

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a &quot;lifeline&quot; for the country.

Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. 
&nbsp;

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council

US President Trump discussed "dangerous situation in North Korea" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula. The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China's ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim's ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea's key allies to taper down Kim's ambitious nuclear plans. Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a "lifeline" for the country. Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Trump calls Putin to discuss North Korea as Korean peninsula simmers

War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the danger of &quot;sleepwalking&quot; into conflict.

Xi made his comments to visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions.

But the White House said on Wednesday that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improved its behaviour. The White House has declined to say whether President Donald Trump, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line toward North Korea, approved Tillerson&#39;s overture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tillerson&#39;s offer of direct contacts with North Korea was &quot;a very good signal&quot;, while warning that a U.S. strike on the North would have catastrophic consequences.

North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, which it said could put all of the United States within range, in defiance of international pressure and U.N. sanctions.

The United States has said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military action.

While South Korea and China share the goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and stop testing increasingly sophisticated long-range missiles, the two have not seen eye-to-eye on how to achieve this.

Meeting in Beijing&#39;s Great Hall of the People, Xi told Moon that the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula must be stuck to, and war and chaos cannot be allowed, Chinese state media said.

&quot;The peninsula issue must, in the end, be resolved via dialogue and consultation,&quot; Xi was cited as saying.

China and South Korea have an important shared interest in maintaining peace, and China was willing to work with South Korea to promote talks and support North and South to improve relations, Xi said.

South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said Xi and Moon agreed war on the peninsula would not be tolerated and they would cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea.

The apparently warm tone of their talks followed nearly a year of tense relations between the two countries.

&#39;Dramatic circumstances&#39;

China has been furious about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying its powerful radar can see far into China and will do nothing to ease tension with North Korea.

China and South Korea agreed in October to normalise exchanges and move past the dispute, which froze trade and business exchanges.

Xi reiterated China&#39;s position on THAAD and said he hoped South Korea would continue to &quot;appropriately handle&quot; the issue.

Guterres, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Security Council resolutions on North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes must be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries.

&quot;Security Council resolutions must be fully implemented, first of all by North Korea, but by all other countries whose role is crucial,&quot; Guterres said.

He said he expected a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday would deliver a strong expression of unity and the need for diplomacy to resolve the issue.

&quot;The worst possible thing that could happen is for us all to sleepwalk into a war.&quot;

Japan says now is the time to keep up pressure on North Korea, not start talks on its missile and nuclear programmes.

China and Russia, however, have welcomed Tillerson&#39;s overture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a U.S. strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Russia does not accept North Korea&#39;s nuclear status, Putin told a news conference. But he also said some U.S. actions had provoked North Korea.

&quot;We believe the two sides should now stop aggravating the situation,&quot; Putin said.

North Korea justifies its weapons programmes as necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.

The North&#39;s state news agency KCNA said Trump was taking a big step towards nuclear war in seeking a naval blockade and North Korea would take &quot;merciless self-defence&quot; measures if the United States tried to impose one.

North Korea would regard a naval blockade as &quot;an act of war&quot; and a &quot;wanton violation&quot; of its sovereignty and dignity, the agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, adding that North Korea was a responsible nuclear power.

White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in September that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday of the danger of 'sleepwalking' into conflict

War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the danger of "sleepwalking" into conflict. Xi made his comments to visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions. But the White House said on Wednesday that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improved its behaviour. The White House has declined to say whether President Donald Trump, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line toward North Korea, approved Tillerson's overture. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tillerson's offer of direct contacts with North Korea was "a very good signal", while warning that a U.S. strike on the North would have catastrophic consequences. North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, which it said could put all of the United States within range, in defiance of international pressure and U.N. sanctions. The United States has said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military action. While South Korea and China share the goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and stop testing increasingly sophisticated long-range missiles, the two have not seen eye-to-eye on how to achieve this. Meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi told Moon that the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula must be stuck to, and war and chaos cannot be allowed, Chinese state media said. "The peninsula issue must, in the end, be resolved via dialogue and consultation," Xi was cited as saying. China and South Korea have an important shared interest in maintaining peace, and China was willing to work with South Korea to promote talks and support North and South to improve relations, Xi said. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Xi and Moon agreed war on the peninsula would not be tolerated and they would cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea. The apparently warm tone of their talks followed nearly a year of tense relations between the two countries. 'Dramatic circumstances' China has been furious about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying its powerful radar can see far into China and will do nothing to ease tension with North Korea. China and South Korea agreed in October to normalise exchanges and move past the dispute, which froze trade and business exchanges. Xi reiterated China's position on THAAD and said he hoped South Korea would continue to "appropriately handle" the issue. Guterres, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Security Council resolutions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes must be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries. "Security Council resolutions must be fully implemented, first of all by North Korea, but by all other countries whose role is crucial," Guterres said. He said he expected a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday would deliver a strong expression of unity and the need for diplomacy to resolve the issue. "The worst possible thing that could happen is for us all to sleepwalk into a war." Japan says now is the time to keep up pressure on North Korea, not start talks on its missile and nuclear programmes. China and Russia, however, have welcomed Tillerson's overture. Russian President Vladimir Putin said a U.S. strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula. Russia does not accept North Korea's nuclear status, Putin told a news conference. But he also said some U.S. actions had provoked North Korea. "We believe the two sides should now stop aggravating the situation," Putin said. North Korea justifies its weapons programmes as necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention. The North's state news agency KCNA said Trump was taking a big step towards nuclear war in seeking a naval blockade and North Korea would take "merciless self-defence" measures if the United States tried to impose one. North Korea would regard a naval blockade as "an act of war" and a "wanton violation" of its sovereignty and dignity, the agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, adding that North Korea was a responsible nuclear power. White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in September that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

China's Xi says war must not be allowed to break out on Korean peninsula

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, renewing its description of him as a &quot;dotard&quot; in a statement released Saturday on state media.

Trump and North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North&#39;s missile and nuclear threats.

Now the hermit state has joined near-universal condemnation of the US president&#39;s decision on Jerusalem, calling it a &quot;reckless, wicked act&quot;.

&quot;Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising&quot;, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency.

&quot;But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community&quot;, he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North.

Trump&#39;s declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies.

Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of &quot;fire and fury&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

Trump dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech, Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland, and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

According to the latest KCNA statement, the North &quot;strongly condemns&quot; the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed &quot;firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights&quot;.

&quot;The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act&quot;, it added.

Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, renewing its description of him as a "dotard" in a statement released Saturday on state media. Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North's missile and nuclear threats. Now the hermit state has joined near-universal condemnation of the US president's decision on Jerusalem, calling it a "reckless, wicked act". "Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising", a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency. "But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community", he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North. Trump's declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies. Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. Trump dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech, Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland, and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. According to the latest KCNA statement, the North "strongly condemns" the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed "firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights". "The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act", it added.

North Korea condemns 'dotard' Trump over Jerusalem

North Korea held mass celebrations for its latest successful long-range missile test, Pyongyang&#39;s state media said Saturday, with a propaganda-filled display of fireworks and dancing in public squares.

The ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun covered its front page with colour photographs showing thousands of tightly packed soldiers and people applauding in Pyongyang&#39;s Kim Il-Sung square, which was decorated with large portraits of the North&#39;s late leaders.&nbsp;

&quot;We heartily celebrate the successful test launch of the Hwasong-15 which showed Chosun (North Korea)&#39;s power and greatness to the whole world&quot;, read one banner held up by the crowd, referring to the missile.&nbsp;

North Korea on Wednesday successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile, with leader Kim Jong-Un declaring his country had now achieved full nuclear statehood.

The US in response warned that Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime would be &quot;utterly destroyed&quot; if its pursuit of a long-range nuclear missile arsenal provokes a military clash, and has battled to maintain international solidarity in the face of North Korea&#39;s nuclear threat.

Kim himself was absent from the celebrations -- he usually stays away from such events -- but Friday&#39;s gathering drew key military, party and government leaders.

&quot;Long Live the General Kim Jong-Un who has brought us the great historic cause of nuclear statehood&quot;, another banner read.

Vice Chairman Pak Kwang-Ho of the party&#39;s decision-making Central Committee told the crowd that, after Wednesday&#39;s test launch, &quot;now no one can infringe our sovereignty and rights to survive and develop&quot;, according to the daily.

He said that the United States had been &quot;jolted&quot; at the strengthening of North Korea&#39;s nuclear force and could attempt to commit &quot;robber-like&quot; provocative acts.&nbsp;

He repeated Kim&#39;s warning that the North would respond with the &quot;highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history&quot;.

Kim first made the threat in September in response to US President Donald Trump&#39;s UN speech threatening to destroy the North and mocking him as &quot;Little Rocket Man&quot;.

The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system used in Wednesday&#39;s test is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead capable of striking the whole mainland of the US, the North said.

But analysts remain unconvinced that the North has mastered the technology required to launch and direct a missile, and ensure it survives the difficult re-entry into the Earth&#39;s atmosphere.

Tensions are expected to rise further in the coming week as South Korea and the United States launch a massive air force drill mobilising some 230 aircraft including six US F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters.

North Korea on Wednesday successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile, with leader Kim Jong-Un declaring his country had now achieved full nuclear statehood

North Korea held mass celebrations for its latest successful long-range missile test, Pyongyang's state media said Saturday, with a propaganda-filled display of fireworks and dancing in public squares. The ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun covered its front page with colour photographs showing thousands of tightly packed soldiers and people applauding in Pyongyang's Kim Il-Sung square, which was decorated with large portraits of the North's late leaders. "We heartily celebrate the successful test launch of the Hwasong-15 which showed Chosun (North Korea)'s power and greatness to the whole world", read one banner held up by the crowd, referring to the missile. North Korea on Wednesday successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile, with leader Kim Jong-Un declaring his country had now achieved full nuclear statehood. The US in response warned that Kim Jong-Un's regime would be "utterly destroyed" if its pursuit of a long-range nuclear missile arsenal provokes a military clash, and has battled to maintain international solidarity in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat. Kim himself was absent from the celebrations -- he usually stays away from such events -- but Friday's gathering drew key military, party and government leaders. "Long Live the General Kim Jong-Un who has brought us the great historic cause of nuclear statehood", another banner read. Vice Chairman Pak Kwang-Ho of the party's decision-making Central Committee told the crowd that, after Wednesday's test launch, "now no one can infringe our sovereignty and rights to survive and develop", according to the daily. He said that the United States had been "jolted" at the strengthening of North Korea's nuclear force and could attempt to commit "robber-like" provocative acts. He repeated Kim's warning that the North would respond with the "highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history". Kim first made the threat in September in response to US President Donald Trump's UN speech threatening to destroy the North and mocking him as "Little Rocket Man". The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system used in Wednesday's test is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead capable of striking the whole mainland of the US, the North said. But analysts remain unconvinced that the North has mastered the technology required to launch and direct a missile, and ensure it survives the difficult re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Tensions are expected to rise further in the coming week as South Korea and the United States launch a massive air force drill mobilising some 230 aircraft including six US F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters.

North Korea holds mass celebrations for latest missile test

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US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range. Now, Assam's Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well. Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos. Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' in court: Report A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said. EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

WION morning news brief, November 30, 2017

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday.

The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact.

However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic.

&quot;It&#39;s true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base,&quot; the source reportedly said. &quot;Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently.&quot;

&quot;We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday.&quot;

A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there.

The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch.

&quot;North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days,&quot; one of the sources was quoted as saying.

However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military.

North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing.

In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan.

But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North.

The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases.

Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war.

The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme.

Pyongyang condemned the move as a &quot;serious provocation&quot; on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday. The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact. However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic. "It's true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base," the source reportedly said. "Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently." "We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday." A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there. The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch. "North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days," one of the sources was quoted as saying. However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing. In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan. But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North. The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases. Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war. The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. Pyongyang condemned the move as a "serious provocation" on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Flurry of activity hints at another North Korea missile test: Reports

A shocking report was released&nbsp;on Thursday, enlisting Kim Jong-un&#39;s nuclear hit-list and identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting.&nbsp;

A think tank drew up the hit-list after viewing announcements in Pyongyang&#39;s state media threatening&nbsp;death and destruction&nbsp;on the nation&#39;s numerous enemies, UK-based&nbsp;Express reported.

According to the list &#39;US mainland, major cities like New York, Manhattan, The White House, The Pentagon and US military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific&#39; are some of the top targets.

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The hit-list also mention The White House as one of its targets. (Others)
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Other than that, prominent government landmarks like Guam, Kyoto, and Tokyo have made the list.&nbsp;

A robust report, published on Thursday, states that &ldquo;North Korea lacks a clear distinction between the use of nuclear weapons against military targets and their use against civilian targets.&rdquo;

&quot;Without certainty that its arsenal could survive the first strike by its enemies, Pyongyang&rsquo;s deterrence relies on the threat of launching the first strike itself,&quot; the report states.

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New: North Korea&#39;s nuclear targets, according to official sources <a href="https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm">https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm</a> <a href="https://t.co/4GRYHq4Ku0">pic.twitter.com/4GRYHq4Ku0</a>
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Further, it aims to &quot;predict Pyongyang&rsquo;s response to different scenarios, and to avoid war, the international community needs to understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them.&quot;

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Major American cities like New York, Manhattan top the list (Others)
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The report&nbsp;also said that &#39;Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean &ldquo;strategic forces&rdquo; are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea.&#39;

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The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is one of the top targets (Others)
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Cities in Japan and South Korea such ad Yokosuka, Misawa, Okinawa and Pyeongtaek, Jungwon, Degu, and Gyeryongdae have also made the list respectively.&nbsp;

North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September and has marked a record of 15 missile tests, Daily Mirror reports.&nbsp;

In July, it successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time, declaring that the US mainland was now within reach.

Trump and the North&#39;s leader Kim have exchanged a number of threats in the past, creating concerns another conflict on the peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War left millions dead.

The European Commission of Foreign Relations has identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting.

A shocking report was released on Thursday, enlisting Kim Jong-un's nuclear hit-list and identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting. A think tank drew up the hit-list after viewing announcements in Pyongyang's state media threatening death and destruction on the nation's numerous enemies, UK-based Express reported. According to the list 'US mainland, major cities like New York, Manhattan, The White House, The Pentagon and US military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific' are some of the top targets. The hit-list also mention The White House as one of its targets. (Others) × Other than that, prominent government landmarks like Guam, Kyoto, and Tokyo have made the list. A robust report, published on Thursday, states that “North Korea lacks a clear distinction between the use of nuclear weapons against military targets and their use against civilian targets.” "Without certainty that its arsenal could survive the first strike by its enemies, Pyongyang’s deterrence relies on the threat of launching the first strike itself," the report states. New: North Korea's nuclear targets, according to official sources https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm pic.twitter.com/4GRYHq4Ku0 — ECFR (@ecfr) November 22, 2017 × Further, it aims to "predict Pyongyang’s response to different scenarios, and to avoid war, the international community needs to understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them." Major American cities like New York, Manhattan top the list (Others) × The report also said that 'Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean “strategic forces” are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea.' The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is one of the top targets (Others) × Cities in Japan and South Korea such ad Yokosuka, Misawa, Okinawa and Pyeongtaek, Jungwon, Degu, and Gyeryongdae have also made the list respectively. North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September and has marked a record of 15 missile tests, Daily Mirror reports. In July, it successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time, declaring that the US mainland was now within reach. Trump and the North's leader Kim have exchanged a number of threats in the past, creating concerns another conflict on the peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War left millions dead.

US, Japan, and South Korea in North Korea's nuclear hit-list: Think tank

Russia said Thursday that the US decision to add North Korea to its terror blacklist was a &quot;PR move&quot; that could allow the situation on the peninsula to escalate into a global &quot;catastrophe&quot;.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called US President Donald Trump&#39;s move to place North Korea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism &quot;another scaremongering act and PR move&quot; that would not reduce tensions on the ground. &nbsp;

&quot;The answer to the question whether such actions help in lessening the tensions is clear: no, they do not.&quot;

&quot;These sorts of actions push the situation (around North Korea) to the extreme, this can end with a big catastrophe not only of a regional but also of global scale,&quot; Zakharova told journalists in Moscow.&nbsp;

Russia&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss the North Korea crisis with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono during his visit to Russia on Friday, Zakharova said.&nbsp;

&quot;They will concentrate on bilateral relations but the international situation will be discussed, including the situation in the Korean peninsula as well as the Syrian question,&quot; Zakharova said.&nbsp;

Russia said the US decision to add North Korea to its terror blacklist was a 'PR move'

Russia said Thursday that the US decision to add North Korea to its terror blacklist was a "PR move" that could allow the situation on the peninsula to escalate into a global "catastrophe". Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called US President Donald Trump's move to place North Korea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism "another scaremongering act and PR move" that would not reduce tensions on the ground. "The answer to the question whether such actions help in lessening the tensions is clear: no, they do not." "These sorts of actions push the situation (around North Korea) to the extreme, this can end with a big catastrophe not only of a regional but also of global scale," Zakharova told journalists in Moscow. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss the North Korea crisis with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono during his visit to Russia on Friday, Zakharova said. "They will concentrate on bilateral relations but the international situation will be discussed, including the situation in the Korean peninsula as well as the Syrian question," Zakharova said.

Russia says US terror listing of North Korea could lead to 'catastrophe'

President Donald Trump on Monday declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, returning Kim Jong-Un&#39;s nuclear-armed pariah regime to a short blacklist of targeted US foes. &nbsp;

&quot;Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago,&quot; Trump declared, announcing the designation at the start of a White House cabinet meeting.

North Korea is already under a wide array of United States and United Nations sanctions, and the terror designation will not have much immediate economic impact in itself.

But US officials see the designation -- lifted by then-president George W. Bush in 2008 -- as a way of ratcheting up the pressure on Pyongyang and especially on other states that may be failing to fully enforce the sanctions already in place.

&quot;In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil,&quot; Trump said.

In February, Kim&#39;s potential rival and elder brother Kim Jong-Nam died after he was sprayed with a nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport, in an assassination blamed on Pyongyang.

&quot;As we take this action today, our thoughts turn to Otto Warmbier and others affected by North Korean oppression,&quot; Trump continued, underlining the legal case for the designation.

US student Warmbier did this year aged only 22 after he was repatriated from detention in North Korea already in a coma. US officials allege he was tortured in custody.

Trump warned that, in addition to the terror designation, Washington is preparing yet another round of sanctions to force Pyongyang to give up its nuclear missile program.

&quot;The Treasury Department will be announcing an additional sanction -- and a large one -- on North Korea,&quot; he said.

&quot;This will be going on over the next two weeks and it will be the highest level of sanctions,&quot; he warned.&nbsp;

&quot;The North Korean regime must be lawful and end its unlawful nuclear ballistic missile development and cease all support for international terrorism, which it is not doing.&quot;&nbsp;

The White House has declared it will not tolerate Kim&#39;s regime testing or deploying an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.

Experts believe Pyongyang is within months of such a threshold, having carried out six nuclear tests since 2006 and test-fired several types of missiles, including multi-stage rockets.

Kim&#39;s government insists it will defy international sanctions to develop a capability it believes is essential to defending itself from the threat of US and South Korean invasion.

Washington is also pressuring the North&#39;s key trade partner and traditional ally China to turn up the sanctions pressure and force Kim to come to the table to discuss his disarmament.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago,' Trump declared

President Donald Trump on Monday declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, returning Kim Jong-Un's nuclear-armed pariah regime to a short blacklist of targeted US foes. "Should have happened a long time ago. Should have happened years ago," Trump declared, announcing the designation at the start of a White House cabinet meeting. North Korea is already under a wide array of United States and United Nations sanctions, and the terror designation will not have much immediate economic impact in itself. But US officials see the designation -- lifted by then-president George W. Bush in 2008 -- as a way of ratcheting up the pressure on Pyongyang and especially on other states that may be failing to fully enforce the sanctions already in place. "In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump said. In February, Kim's potential rival and elder brother Kim Jong-Nam died after he was sprayed with a nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport, in an assassination blamed on Pyongyang. "As we take this action today, our thoughts turn to Otto Warmbier and others affected by North Korean oppression," Trump continued, underlining the legal case for the designation. US student Warmbier did this year aged only 22 after he was repatriated from detention in North Korea already in a coma. US officials allege he was tortured in custody. Trump warned that, in addition to the terror designation, Washington is preparing yet another round of sanctions to force Pyongyang to give up its nuclear missile program. "The Treasury Department will be announcing an additional sanction -- and a large one -- on North Korea," he said. "This will be going on over the next two weeks and it will be the highest level of sanctions," he warned. "The North Korean regime must be lawful and end its unlawful nuclear ballistic missile development and cease all support for international terrorism, which it is not doing." The White House has declared it will not tolerate Kim's regime testing or deploying an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities. Experts believe Pyongyang is within months of such a threshold, having carried out six nuclear tests since 2006 and test-fired several types of missiles, including multi-stage rockets. Kim's government insists it will defy international sanctions to develop a capability it believes is essential to defending itself from the threat of US and South Korean invasion. Washington is also pressuring the North's key trade partner and traditional ally China to turn up the sanctions pressure and force Kim to come to the table to discuss his disarmament.

Trump declares North Korea state sponsor of terror

China dispatched a special envoy to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/satellite-images-indicate-aggressive-schedule-by-north-korea-to-build-ballistic-missile-submarine-institute-24433">North Korea&nbsp;</a>on Friday, a trip hailed as a &quot;big move&quot; by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hits-out-at-democrat-accused-of-groping-24422">US President Donald Trump</a>, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally.

Diplomat Song Tao was travelling to the North on behalf of President Xi Jinping to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and other &quot;issues of mutual interest&quot;, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-stays-defiant-in-face-of-fresh-un-sanctions-18664">United Nations sanctions on North Korea</a> over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast.

Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/beijing-wont-show-any-restraint-in-future-6752">Beijing</a> last week that time was &quot;quickly running out&quot; to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;to hail the mission as &quot;a big move, we&#39;ll see what happens!&quot;.

The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea&#39;s foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime.

But experts doubt Song&#39;s visit will yield major breakthroughs.

&quot;China has virtually no political influence on<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-us-reaffirm-need-for-peaceful-resolution-of-north-korea-problem-24417"> North Korea</a>. Its influence is derived from economic leverage,&quot; Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP.

&quot;Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War,&quot; she said. &quot;Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration.&quot;

Ties at &#39;lowest point&#39;&nbsp;

China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North.

But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse.

Song will be the first <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-envoy-denies-blocking-un-proposal-to-ban-masood-azhar-12689">Chinese envoy</a> to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited.

Geng gave scant details about the trip, saying he did not know if Song had arrived in Pyongyang, who he will meet or what topics he will discuss. South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said it had spotted him at Beijing&#39;s airport earlier&nbsp;on Friday.

China&#39;s relations with North Korea are currently at &quot;the lowest point they&#39;ve been in history&quot;, leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.&nbsp;

As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea&#39;s top leaders, he said.

&quot;As far as North Korea is concerned, China&#39;s opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention,&quot; Lu said.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;&#39;Freeze for freeze&#39;&nbsp;

As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a &quot;dual track approach&quot; in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes.

Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy.

&quot;We believe that at the moment, this is the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan,&quot; Geng told a regular news briefing.

Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney, expects little from Song&#39;s mission.

&quot;We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes,&quot; Yuan said.

The visit is &quot;more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes&quot; because China&#39;s top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said.

Song would likely &quot;assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions.&quot;

Trump, who warned Xi Jinping during his trip to Beijing last week that time was 'quickly running out' to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter?on Thursday?to hail the mission as 'a big move, we'll see what happens!'

China dispatched a special envoy to North Korea on Friday, a trip hailed as a "big move" by US President Donald Trump, who has urged Beijing to pile pressure on its nuclear-armed ally. Diplomat Song Tao was travelling to the North on behalf of President Xi Jinping to brief officials on the recent Chinese Communist Party congress and other "issues of mutual interest", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. But analysts expect Song to address the nuclear standoff, which has roiled relations between the two Cold War-era allies as China has backed United Nations sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and sixth nuclear blast. Trump, who warned Xi during his trip to Beijing last week that time was "quickly running out" to solve the nuclear crisis, took to Twitter on Thursday to hail the mission as "a big move, we'll see what happens!". The US leader wants China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, to put more economic pressure on the reclusive regime. But experts doubt Song's visit will yield major breakthroughs. "China has virtually no political influence on North Korea. Its influence is derived from economic leverage," Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP. "Relations are extremely stressed. Perhaps the lowest point since the Korean War," she said. "Perhaps (the mission) will put a floor under China-North Korea relations, preventing further deterioration." Ties at 'lowest point' China has imposed its own banking restrictions on North Koreans in addition to enacting a series of UN measures that include bans on imports of coal, iron ore and seafood from the North. But Beijing fears that squeezing Pyongyang too hard would cause its collapse. Song will be the first Chinese envoy to make an official trip to North Korea since October 2016, when vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin visited. Geng gave scant details about the trip, saying he did not know if Song had arrived in Pyongyang, who he will meet or what topics he will discuss. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said it had spotted him at Beijing's airport earlier on Friday. China's relations with North Korea are currently at "the lowest point they've been in history", leaving the North diplomatically at its most isolated, said Lu Chao, director of the North Korea Research Centre at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. As a high-level diplomat, Song would likely meet directly with North Korea's top leaders, he said. "As far as North Korea is concerned, China's opinion is still an important one and will certainly arouse their full attention," Lu said. 'Freeze for freeze' As nuclear tensions have soared, Xi has pushed for negotiations and a "dual track approach" in which the United States would freeze its military drills in the region while North Korea halts its weapons programmes. Trump claimed this week that Xi had agreed to drop his plan during their talks last week, but Beijing stood by its policy. "We believe that at the moment, this is the most realistic, feasible, fair and reasonable plan," Geng told a regular news briefing. Yuan Jingdong, a specialist in Asia-Pacific security issues at the University of Sydney, expects little from Song's mission. "We can expect some face-saving, assuring but very general and abstract commitments with no substance changes in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes," Yuan said. The visit is "more about warning North Korea against going to extremes than forcing it to give up the nukes" because China's top priority remains maintaining regional stability, he said. Song would likely "assure Kim that if he behaves within a reasonable bound he can expect Beijing to continue providing some assistance and resist broadening the sanctions."

China sends envoy to North Korea, Trump hails 'big move'

China said on Thursday it backed<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-aircraft-carriers-japanese-navy-conduct-joint-drill-amid-north-korea-tensions-24332"> &quot;dual suspension&quot; plan on&nbsp;North Korea as the best </a>solution to handle the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Under the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-aircraft-carriers-japanese-navy-conduct-joint-drill-amid-north-korea-tensions-24332">&quot;dual suspension&quot; plan the US and South Korea</a> would stop military exercise close to North Korea in exchange Kim&#39;s regime would halt its nuclear weapons programme, both China and Russia back the move.

&quot;We believe that the &#39;dual suspension&#39; proposal is the most feasible, fair and sensible plan in the present situation,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.&nbsp;

&quot;Not only can it relieve the present tense situation, it can also resolve all parties most pressing security concerns, and provide an opportunity and create conditions to resume talks, and find a breakthrough point to get out of trouble,&quot; Shuang added.

US President Trump had rejected the &nbsp;&quot;freeze for freeze&quot; agreement which is similar to the dual suspension plan during his meeting President Xi when the two leaders had met recently.

&quot;We hope that all sides can conscientiously treat and proactively consider China&#39;s proposal, and at the same time we welcome relevant parties to put forward proposals that can benefit the promotion of a peaceful resolution for the peninsula nuclear issue,&quot; Chinese foreign ministry spokesman felt.

The US too is watching the situation closely, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: &quot;Both sides made their positions clear. They are different, but we agreed that there are going to be different positions and therefore it&#39;s not going to move forward.&quot;

Even as the two sides talk on diffusing the North Korean crisis, US aircraft carriers, South Korean destroyers recently concluded their naval exercise on the Korean peninsula.

USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt had carried out the operation off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday

On Thursday, Japan and the US began their naval drill in southern Japan to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations building pressure on North Korea not to act in haste over its missile programme.

Under the "dual suspension" plan the US and South Korea would stop military exercise close to North Korea

China said on Thursday it backed "dual suspension" plan on North Korea as the best solution to handle the crisis on the Korean peninsula. Under the "dual suspension" plan the US and South Korea would stop military exercise close to North Korea in exchange Kim's regime would halt its nuclear weapons programme, both China and Russia back the move. "We believe that the 'dual suspension' proposal is the most feasible, fair and sensible plan in the present situation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "Not only can it relieve the present tense situation, it can also resolve all parties most pressing security concerns, and provide an opportunity and create conditions to resume talks, and find a breakthrough point to get out of trouble," Shuang added. US President Trump had rejected the "freeze for freeze" agreement which is similar to the dual suspension plan during his meeting President Xi when the two leaders had met recently. "We hope that all sides can conscientiously treat and proactively consider China's proposal, and at the same time we welcome relevant parties to put forward proposals that can benefit the promotion of a peaceful resolution for the peninsula nuclear issue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman felt. The US too is watching the situation closely, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "Both sides made their positions clear. They are different, but we agreed that there are going to be different positions and therefore it's not going to move forward." Even as the two sides talk on diffusing the North Korean crisis, US aircraft carriers, South Korean destroyers recently concluded their naval exercise on the Korean peninsula. USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt had carried out the operation off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday On Thursday, Japan and the US began their naval drill in southern Japan to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations building pressure on North Korea not to act in haste over its missile programme.

'Dual suspension' proposal most feasible plan on North Korea: China

US President Donald Trump took his verbal jousting with Kim Jong-Un to a new level Sunday, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight before musing over the idea of them eventually becoming friends.

While they have never met, Trump and Kim have form when it comes to name-calling, with the US president a more than willing match for the highly rhetorical flourishes deployed by his adversary in Pyongyang.

Trump has referred to Kim as a &quot;madman&quot; and &quot;Rocket Man&quot; while the 33-year-old responded by calling the 71-year-old former reality TV star a &quot;mentally deranged dotard&quot;.

On Sunday Trump got down to basics, with a sarcastic tweet prompted by recent descriptions of him in the North&#39;s state media as a &quot;lunatic old man&quot;.

&quot;Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me &#39;old,&#39; when I would NEVER call him &#39;short and fat&#39;?&quot; the president tweeted from Hanoi -- the latest leg of a lengthy Asia tour that had, until then, appeared to have moderated his Twitter habit.

&quot;Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!&quot; he wrote.

&nbsp;

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Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me &quot;old,&quot; when I would NEVER call him &quot;short and fat?&quot; Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/929511061954297857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sarcastic or not, the dig about Kim&#39;s weight, which has increased significantly since he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, is unlikely to go down well in Pyongyang.

The members of the ruling Kim dynasty -- past and present -- enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership.

Foreign tourists to Pyongyang are generally obliged to pay homage -- laying flowers and bowing deeply -- before giant statues of Kim&#39;s father and his grandfather -- founding leader Kim Il-Sung -- at some point during their visit.

Questioned later about his Tweet, Trump insisted he had not been entirely joking about one day befriending the man he described just last week as a dictator with &quot;twisted fantasies&quot;.

&quot;That might be a strange thing to happen but it&#39;s certainly a possibility,&quot; he told reporters at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital.

&quot;If that did happen, it would be a good thing, I can tell you, for North Korea ... I don&#39;t know that it will, but it would be very, very nice if it did,&quot; he added.

Trump has played hawk and dove with the North during his sweep of five Asian countries -- denouncing it as a &quot;cruel dictatorship,&quot; while offering Kim Jong-Un a diplomatic way out of the crisis over Pyongyang&#39;s growing nuclear arsenal.

During his election campaign, Trump said he would be willing to sit down with Kim and negotiate over a &quot;hamburger&quot; - an offer the North Korea leader has so far chosen to ignore.

US President Donald Trump has said he would never call Kim Jong-Un "short and fat", after months of trading personal insults and threats of war with the North Korean leader

US President Donald Trump took his verbal jousting with Kim Jong-Un to a new level Sunday, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight before musing over the idea of them eventually becoming friends. While they have never met, Trump and Kim have form when it comes to name-calling, with the US president a more than willing match for the highly rhetorical flourishes deployed by his adversary in Pyongyang. Trump has referred to Kim as a "madman" and "Rocket Man" while the 33-year-old responded by calling the 71-year-old former reality TV star a "mentally deranged dotard". On Sunday Trump got down to basics, with a sarcastic tweet prompted by recent descriptions of him in the North's state media as a "lunatic old man". "Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat'?" the president tweeted from Hanoi -- the latest leg of a lengthy Asia tour that had, until then, appeared to have moderated his Twitter habit. "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" he wrote. Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017 × Sarcastic or not, the dig about Kim's weight, which has increased significantly since he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, is unlikely to go down well in Pyongyang. The members of the ruling Kim dynasty -- past and present -- enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership. Foreign tourists to Pyongyang are generally obliged to pay homage -- laying flowers and bowing deeply -- before giant statues of Kim's father and his grandfather -- founding leader Kim Il-Sung -- at some point during their visit. Questioned later about his Tweet, Trump insisted he had not been entirely joking about one day befriending the man he described just last week as a dictator with "twisted fantasies". "That might be a strange thing to happen but it's certainly a possibility," he told reporters at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital. "If that did happen, it would be a good thing, I can tell you, for North Korea ... I don't know that it will, but it would be very, very nice if it did," he added. Trump has played hawk and dove with the North during his sweep of five Asian countries -- denouncing it as a "cruel dictatorship," while offering Kim Jong-Un a diplomatic way out of the crisis over Pyongyang's growing nuclear arsenal. During his election campaign, Trump said he would be willing to sit down with Kim and negotiate over a "hamburger" - an offer the North Korea leader has so far chosen to ignore.

Trump says he would never call North Korea leader 'short and fat'

US President Donald Trump on Friday said the Asia-Pacific region was being held hostage by the &quot;twisted fantasies&quot; of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, as he called on countries to stand united against Pyongyang.

Trump has embarked on a tour of Asia this week trying to rally regional support for curbing North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programme, warning that time is running out over the crisis.

&quot;The future of this region and its beautiful people must not be held hostage to a dictator&#39;s twisted fantasies of violent conquest and nuclear blackmail,&quot; he said during a speech in Vietnam to the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The region, he added, must &quot;stand united in declaring that every single step the North Korean regime takes toward more weapons is a step it takes into greater and greater danger&quot;.

The US administration thinks China&#39;s economic leverage over North Korea is the key to strong-arming Pyongyang into halting its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

On Thursday, Trump was in Beijing meeting President Xi Jinping, where he called on China to &quot;act fast&quot; over North Korea.&nbsp;&quot;China can fix this problem easily and quickly, and I am calling on China and your great president to hopefully work on it very hard,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Washington has also worked in recent months to convince allies across Asia to oppose Pyongyang, an issue that will remain prominent during his two day trip to Vietnam, which is currently hosting a major regional summit. Alongside Trump, the leaders of Japan, Russia, China and South Korea are also attending the APEC summit.

'The future of this region and its beautiful people must not be held hostage to a dictator's twisted fantasies of violent conquest and nuclear blackmail,' he said

US President Donald Trump on Friday said the Asia-Pacific region was being held hostage by the "twisted fantasies" of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, as he called on countries to stand united against Pyongyang. Trump has embarked on a tour of Asia this week trying to rally regional support for curbing North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, warning that time is running out over the crisis. "The future of this region and its beautiful people must not be held hostage to a dictator's twisted fantasies of violent conquest and nuclear blackmail," he said during a speech in Vietnam to the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The region, he added, must "stand united in declaring that every single step the North Korean regime takes toward more weapons is a step it takes into greater and greater danger". The US administration thinks China's economic leverage over North Korea is the key to strong-arming Pyongyang into halting its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. On Thursday, Trump was in Beijing meeting President Xi Jinping, where he called on China to "act fast" over North Korea. "China can fix this problem easily and quickly, and I am calling on China and your great president to hopefully work on it very hard," he said. Washington has also worked in recent months to convince allies across Asia to oppose Pyongyang, an issue that will remain prominent during his two day trip to Vietnam, which is currently hosting a major regional summit. Alongside Trump, the leaders of Japan, Russia, China and South Korea are also attending the APEC summit.

Trump says Asia held hostage by North Korea's 'twisted fantasies'

Donald Trump slammed North Korea&#39;s &quot;cruel dictatorship&quot; and the severe political oppression inflicted on its people in a speech to Seoul&#39;s parliament on Wednesday.

South Korean lawmakers applauded as the US president, whose tour of Asia has been dominated by fears over the nuclear-armed North, vowed not to be intimidated and warned Pyongyang that it should not test American resolve.

He called for global solidarity against the isolated nation, but he also offered leader Kim Jong-Un a possible &quot;path towards a much better future&quot;.

&quot;Far from valuing its people as equal citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them based on the most arbitrary indication of their allegiance to the state,&quot; Trump said in the address.&nbsp;

The North, which this year carried out its sixth nuclear test, generating by far the largest yield to date, has also fired dozens of missiles in recent months.

Two have overflown key US ally Japan, and the regime has claimed that it now has the technology to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile that can travel as far as the US mainland.

Trump, who previously vowed a North Korean Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capability would &quot;never happen&quot;, again warned Pyongyang not to consider an attack.

We will not &quot;allow American cities to be threatened with destruction,&quot; he said in Seoul.

&quot;America does not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will never run from it.

&quot;We will not permit America or our allies to be blackmailed or attacked,&quot; he added.

The mercurial US president, who earlier Wednesday aborted a visit to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas, heads later in the day to China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic ally and protector.

Ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said the world had to unite to counter the threat from North Korea.

&quot;All responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North Korea,&quot; he said.

&quot;You cannot support, you cannot supply, you cannot accept,&quot; he said, singling out China and Russia.

&#39;A much better future&#39;&nbsp;

While the speech was heavy on Trump&#39;s usual anti-North Korean bombast, he also offered an olive branch, in what he said was a direct message to the country&#39;s young leader.

&quot;The weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer,&quot; he said. &quot;They are putting your regime in great danger.&nbsp;

&quot;Yet despite every crime, you have committed against God and man, we will offer a path towards a much better future.&quot;

The US leader&#39;s tone in Seoul, just an hour from the DMZ and a city whose 10 million inhabitants would find themselves on the frontline of any conflict, has been in marked contrast to his previous warnings of &quot;fire and fury&quot;.

&quot;Ultimately, it will all work out,&quot; he said on Tuesday. &quot;It always works out. It has to work out.&quot;

Even so, the North&#39;s Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers&#39; Party, condemned his visit Wednesday.

In an article published before his parliamentary address, the paper called the trip &quot;a deliberate scheme aimed at strengthening military threats against us and to light the fuse of nuclear war&quot;.

&quot;War maniac Trump is pushing tensions to the extreme by spewing threats of war against us,&quot; it said in an editorial.

Donald Trump slammed North Korea's 'cruel dictatorship' and the severe political oppression inflicted on its people in a speech to Seoul's parliament on Wednesday

Donald Trump slammed North Korea's "cruel dictatorship" and the severe political oppression inflicted on its people in a speech to Seoul's parliament on Wednesday. South Korean lawmakers applauded as the US president, whose tour of Asia has been dominated by fears over the nuclear-armed North, vowed not to be intimidated and warned Pyongyang that it should not test American resolve. He called for global solidarity against the isolated nation, but he also offered leader Kim Jong-Un a possible "path towards a much better future". "Far from valuing its people as equal citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them based on the most arbitrary indication of their allegiance to the state," Trump said in the address. The North, which this year carried out its sixth nuclear test, generating by far the largest yield to date, has also fired dozens of missiles in recent months. Two have overflown key US ally Japan, and the regime has claimed that it now has the technology to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile that can travel as far as the US mainland. Trump, who previously vowed a North Korean Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capability would "never happen", again warned Pyongyang not to consider an attack. We will not "allow American cities to be threatened with destruction," he said in Seoul. "America does not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will never run from it. "We will not permit America or our allies to be blackmailed or attacked," he added. The mercurial US president, who earlier Wednesday aborted a visit to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas, heads later in the day to China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic ally and protector. Ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said the world had to unite to counter the threat from North Korea. "All responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North Korea," he said. "You cannot support, you cannot supply, you cannot accept," he said, singling out China and Russia. 'A much better future' While the speech was heavy on Trump's usual anti-North Korean bombast, he also offered an olive branch, in what he said was a direct message to the country's young leader. "The weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer," he said. "They are putting your regime in great danger. "Yet despite every crime, you have committed against God and man, we will offer a path towards a much better future." The US leader's tone in Seoul, just an hour from the DMZ and a city whose 10 million inhabitants would find themselves on the frontline of any conflict, has been in marked contrast to his previous warnings of "fire and fury". "Ultimately, it will all work out," he said on Tuesday. "It always works out. It has to work out." Even so, the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party, condemned his visit Wednesday. In an article published before his parliamentary address, the paper called the trip "a deliberate scheme aimed at strengthening military threats against us and to light the fuse of nuclear war". "War maniac Trump is pushing tensions to the extreme by spewing threats of war against us," it said in an editorial.

North Korea a 'cruel dictatorship' says Trump in Seoul

US President Donald Trump slammed North Korea&#39;s &quot;cruel dictatorship&quot; and the severe political oppression inflicted by the regime in his speech to Seoul&#39;s parliament on Wednesday.

&quot;Far from valuing its people as equal citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them based on the most arbitrary indication of their allegiance to the state,&quot; Trump said in the address.&nbsp;

&quot; Won&#39;t allow American cities to be threatened with destruction&quot; Trump said further.

US President Donald Trump slammed North Korea's 'cruel dictatorship' and the severe political oppression inflicted by the regime in his speech to Seoul's parliament on Wednesday

US President Donald Trump slammed North Korea's "cruel dictatorship" and the severe political oppression inflicted by the regime in his speech to Seoul's parliament on Wednesday. "Far from valuing its people as equal citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them based on the most arbitrary indication of their allegiance to the state," Trump said in the address. " Won't allow American cities to be threatened with destruction" Trump said further.

Trump denounces 'cruel dictatorship' of North Korea

US President Donald Trump was forced to abandon a surprise visit to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas on Wednesday due to bad weather, leaving him &quot;pretty frustrated&quot; according to the White House.

South Korean leader Moon Jae-In, who had flown earlier before the weather closed in, was left waiting at the border which bristles with electric fences, minefields and anti-tank barriers.

The US chief executive, who the White House had previously said would not go to the symbolic spot, took off from the Yongsan military base in Seoul, but his helicopter then had to turn back due to fog.

Moon had flown to the border earlier, before the weather closed in, the South&#39;s presidential office said according to reports, and was left waiting for Trump at a guard post on the frontline.

Visiting US presidents have regularly gone to the DMZ, where soldiers from North and South Korea face off along a border marked by concrete blocks between emblematic blue huts.&nbsp;

Administration officials had said before Trump&#39;s Asia tour that he would not make the trip, saying it was &quot;becoming a little bit of a cliche, frankly&quot; after visits by Vice-President Mike Pence and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

But reporters accompanying Trump were summoned earlier than scheduled Wednesday and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told them: &quot;This is where we&#39;re going,&quot; holding up a piece of notepaper on which the letters &quot;DMZ&quot; were scrawled.

Trump&#39;s helicopter Marine One took off from Yongsan, but was forced to turn back. The group waited nearly an hour for conditions to improve, but the weather worsened instead and the trip was abandoned.&nbsp;

&quot;He&#39;s actually pretty frustrated,&quot; said Sanders.

Moon suggested the joint visit to Trump during their summit on Tuesday, the South&#39;s Yonhap news agency cited a Seoul presidential office official as saying.

Sanders said she believed it would have been a &quot;historic moment&quot; as the first time US and South Korean presidents had visited together.

The plan showed the strength &quot;and importance of the alliance between the two countries,&quot; she added.

&quot;We are going to have an exciting day tomorrow for many reasons that people will find out,&quot; Trump said at a state dinner Tuesday, without elaborating.

&#39;Make a deal&#39;&nbsp;

Trump was due to address South Korea&#39;s national assembly later before heading to China on an Asia tour that has largely been dominated by the North&#39;s nuclear programme.

Standing alongside Moon on Tuesday, he reiterated that he was prepared to use the full range of American military might to halt Pyongyang&#39;s march towards becoming a full-fledged nuclear power.

Pyongyang has launched missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland, and in September carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date.

But Trump&#39;s tone in Seoul, just an hour from the DMZ and a city whose 10 million inhabitants would find themselves on the front line of any conflict, was in marked contrast to his previous threats of &quot;fire and fury&quot;.

&quot;Ultimately, it will all work out,&quot; he said. &quot;It always works out. It has to work out.&quot;

He left room for dialogue with the North, saying: &quot;It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table to make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world.&quot;

South Korean media were relieved Wednesday that the summit with the notoriously impulsive US leader went smoothly without any surprises.

&quot;We are extremely glad that the first day of President Trump&#39;s visit passed successfully,&quot; said the JoongAng Ilbo in an editorial.

But it pointed out: &quot;President Trump can pressure us at anytime at anywhere with a card we&#39;d never thought of.&quot;

In his 20-minute parliamentary address, Trump is expected to touch on key issues including North Korea&#39;s nuclear threats as well as the trade imbalances between the US and South Korea.

His administration has caused consternation in Seoul by demanding the renegotiation of the five-year-old US-Korea free trade agreement, which Trump called Tuesday &quot;quite unsuccessful and not very good for the United States&quot;.

Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by a president given to off-the-cuff remarks during his parliamentary address could send tensions rising on the peninsula.

&quot;If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again,&quot; said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

US President Donald Trump was forced to abandon a surprise visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)? that divides the two Koreas on Wednesday due to bad weather, leaving him 'pretty frustrated' according to the White House

US President Donald Trump was forced to abandon a surprise visit to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas on Wednesday due to bad weather, leaving him "pretty frustrated" according to the White House. South Korean leader Moon Jae-In, who had flown earlier before the weather closed in, was left waiting at the border which bristles with electric fences, minefields and anti-tank barriers. The US chief executive, who the White House had previously said would not go to the symbolic spot, took off from the Yongsan military base in Seoul, but his helicopter then had to turn back due to fog. Moon had flown to the border earlier, before the weather closed in, the South's presidential office said according to reports, and was left waiting for Trump at a guard post on the frontline. Visiting US presidents have regularly gone to the DMZ, where soldiers from North and South Korea face off along a border marked by concrete blocks between emblematic blue huts. Administration officials had said before Trump's Asia tour that he would not make the trip, saying it was "becoming a little bit of a cliche, frankly" after visits by Vice-President Mike Pence and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. But reporters accompanying Trump were summoned earlier than scheduled Wednesday and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told them: "This is where we're going," holding up a piece of notepaper on which the letters "DMZ" were scrawled. Trump's helicopter Marine One took off from Yongsan, but was forced to turn back. The group waited nearly an hour for conditions to improve, but the weather worsened instead and the trip was abandoned. "He's actually pretty frustrated," said Sanders. Moon suggested the joint visit to Trump during their summit on Tuesday, the South's Yonhap news agency cited a Seoul presidential office official as saying. Sanders said she believed it would have been a "historic moment" as the first time US and South Korean presidents had visited together. The plan showed the strength "and importance of the alliance between the two countries," she added. "We are going to have an exciting day tomorrow for many reasons that people will find out," Trump said at a state dinner Tuesday, without elaborating. 'Make a deal' Trump was due to address South Korea's national assembly later before heading to China on an Asia tour that has largely been dominated by the North's nuclear programme. Standing alongside Moon on Tuesday, he reiterated that he was prepared to use the full range of American military might to halt Pyongyang's march towards becoming a full-fledged nuclear power. Pyongyang has launched missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland, and in September carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date. But Trump's tone in Seoul, just an hour from the DMZ and a city whose 10 million inhabitants would find themselves on the front line of any conflict, was in marked contrast to his previous threats of "fire and fury". "Ultimately, it will all work out," he said. "It always works out. It has to work out." He left room for dialogue with the North, saying: "It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table to make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world." South Korean media were relieved Wednesday that the summit with the notoriously impulsive US leader went smoothly without any surprises. "We are extremely glad that the first day of President Trump's visit passed successfully," said the JoongAng Ilbo in an editorial. But it pointed out: "President Trump can pressure us at anytime at anywhere with a card we'd never thought of." In his 20-minute parliamentary address, Trump is expected to touch on key issues including North Korea's nuclear threats as well as the trade imbalances between the US and South Korea. His administration has caused consternation in Seoul by demanding the renegotiation of the five-year-old US-Korea free trade agreement, which Trump called Tuesday "quite unsuccessful and not very good for the United States". Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by a president given to off-the-cuff remarks during his parliamentary address could send tensions rising on the peninsula. "If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again," said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

Trump aborts surprise visit to Korean Demilitarized Zone

President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday the United States was prepared to use the full range of its military power if needed to defend itself and its allies during a visit to South Korea that took him to heart of the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

Speaking at a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump said that while he hopes to use all tools short of military force, he was prepared to do whatever was necessary &quot;to prevent the North Korean dictator from threatening lives ... so needlessly.&quot;

&quot;We cannot allow North Korea to threaten all that we have built,&quot; Trump said on the first day of a two-day visit to South Korea.

But at times taking a less strident tone, Trump also urged North Korea to &ldquo;do the right thing&rdquo; and said: &ldquo;I do see some movement&rdquo; &ndash; though he declined to elaborate.

&quot;We hope to God we don&rsquo;t have to use&rdquo; the United States&rsquo; full military capabilities, he said.

Landing earlier at Osan Air Base outside Seoul, the president and First Lady Melania Trump stepped down from Air Force One onto a red carpet as he began a visit that could aggravate tensions with North Korea.

He then flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys, the largest US&nbsp;military base in the country, and met US&nbsp;and South Korean troops, along with Moon.

The White House says Trump&#39;s trip is intended to demonstrate US&nbsp;resolve over his hardline approach to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, but many in the region fear further bellicose presidential rhetoric could increase the potential for a devastating military conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Meeting with military commanders about the North Korea issue, Trump told reporters: &quot;Ultimately it will all work out, it always works out, it has to work out.&rdquo; He did not elaborate.

Trump praised president Moon, hailing him for &quot;great cooperation&quot; despite differences over how to confront North Korea and over a trade pact between the United States and South Korea.

When the two leaders later held formal talks after an elaborate welcoming ceremony outside the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Moon told Trump he hoped his visit would relieve some of South Koreans&#39; anxiety over North Korea and serve as a &quot;turning point in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue&quot;.

Pyongyang&rsquo;s recent nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN&nbsp;resolutions and an exchange of insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump&rsquo;s presidency.

Three US&nbsp;aircraft carrier strike groups will exercise together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a show of force rarely seen in the region, US officials said.

On the second leg of his five-nation trip, Trump toured the sprawling Camp Humphreys garrison, which lies about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with reclusive North Korea.

Trump was greeted with applause and a few cheers as he and Moon entered the mess hall at lunch hour.

Trump is seeking to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang following his visit to Tokyo, where he declared that Japan would shoot North Korean missiles &ldquo;out of the sky&rdquo; if it bought the U.S. weaponry needed to do so, suggesting the Japanese government take a stance it has avoided until now.

Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday the United States was prepared to use the full range of its military power if needed to defend itself and its allies during a visit to South Korea that took him to the heart of the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday the United States was prepared to use the full range of its military power if needed to defend itself and its allies during a visit to South Korea that took him to heart of the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang. Speaking at a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump said that while he hopes to use all tools short of military force, he was prepared to do whatever was necessary "to prevent the North Korean dictator from threatening lives ... so needlessly." "We cannot allow North Korea to threaten all that we have built," Trump said on the first day of a two-day visit to South Korea. But at times taking a less strident tone, Trump also urged North Korea to “do the right thing” and said: “I do see some movement” – though he declined to elaborate. "We hope to God we don’t have to use” the United States’ full military capabilities, he said. Landing earlier at Osan Air Base outside Seoul, the president and First Lady Melania Trump stepped down from Air Force One onto a red carpet as he began a visit that could aggravate tensions with North Korea. He then flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys, the largest US military base in the country, and met US and South Korean troops, along with Moon. The White House says Trump's trip is intended to demonstrate US resolve over his hardline approach to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, but many in the region fear further bellicose presidential rhetoric could increase the potential for a devastating military conflict on the Korean peninsula. Meeting with military commanders about the North Korea issue, Trump told reporters: "Ultimately it will all work out, it always works out, it has to work out.” He did not elaborate. Trump praised president Moon, hailing him for "great cooperation" despite differences over how to confront North Korea and over a trade pact between the United States and South Korea. When the two leaders later held formal talks after an elaborate welcoming ceremony outside the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Moon told Trump he hoped his visit would relieve some of South Koreans' anxiety over North Korea and serve as a "turning point in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue". Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN resolutions and an exchange of insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump’s presidency. Three US aircraft carrier strike groups will exercise together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a show of force rarely seen in the region, US officials said. On the second leg of his five-nation trip, Trump toured the sprawling Camp Humphreys garrison, which lies about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with reclusive North Korea. Trump was greeted with applause and a few cheers as he and Moon entered the mess hall at lunch hour. Trump is seeking to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang following his visit to Tokyo, where he declared that Japan would shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” if it bought the U.S. weaponry needed to do so, suggesting the Japanese government take a stance it has avoided until now.

Hope to God we don't have to use US military capability against North Korea, says Trump in South Korea

The US and its allies are &quot;making a lot of progress&quot; in dealing with the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday while visiting Seoul.

&quot;North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires a worldwide action,&quot; he said at a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, adding the US was prepared to use the full range of its military capabilities if necessary.

But he added: &quot;It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table to make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world.&quot;

&quot;I think we are making a lot of progress.&quot;

The US and its allies are "making a lot of progress" in dealing with the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday while visiting Seoul.

The US and its allies are "making a lot of progress" in dealing with the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Tuesday while visiting Seoul. "North Korea is a worldwide threat that requires a worldwide action," he said at a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, adding the US was prepared to use the full range of its military capabilities if necessary. But he added: "It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table to make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world." "I think we are making a lot of progress."

Trump: 'We are making a lot of progress' on North Korea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-due-in-south-korea-amid-north-korea-tensions-23627" target="_blank">Trump promises to &#39;figure it all out&#39; -- meaning North Korea -- with South Korean President</a>

US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to &quot;figure it all out&quot; with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies&#39; differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North.

&quot;Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman,&quot; Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: &quot;We will figure it all out!&quot;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/enclosed-sonia-gandhis-letter-to-show-truth-behind-claims-against-me-jaya-jaitly-on-her-book-23628" target="_blank">Jaya Jaitly says Sonia Gandhi facilitated framing of corruption charges against her</a>

Former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly has said the then UPA government and especially Congress President Sonia Gandhi had facilitated the framing of corruption charges against her.&nbsp;

Jaitly is accused of accepting a Rs two-lakh bribe in 2001.&nbsp;

She has made her accusations in her memoir &#39;Life Among the Scorpions: Memoirs of an Indian Woman in Public Life&#39;, due to be released today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/texas-church-shooting-witness-he-wouldnt-stop-23629" target="_blank">Texas church shooting witness: &#39;He wouldn&#39;t stop&#39;</a>

Witnesses have described the horror that unfolded after 26-year-old gunman Devin Patrick Kelley started shooting at a Sunday church service congregation.&nbsp;

&quot;He wouldn&#39;t stop,&quot; said one.&nbsp;She described the one image seared into her mind: the gunman&#39;s body convulsions as he emptied his assault rifle.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nitish-bats-for-reservation-in-private-sector-23617" target="_blank">Bihar Chief Minister Nitish says time for reservation in private sector</a>

&quot;It`s my opinion that there must be reservation in the private sector too. There must be a debate on this at the national level,&quot; Nitish said.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-mamata-calls-gst-great-selfish-tax-23591" target="_blank">Mamata calls GST &#39;Great Selfish Tax&#39;</a>

Rahul Gandhi started by calling it the &quot;Gabbar Singh Tax&quot;. Taking her cue from him, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has now called it the &quot;Great Selfish Tax&quot;.

 
&nbsp;

Trump promises to 'figure it all out' -- meaning North Korea -- with South Korean President US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to "figure it all out" with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies' differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North. "Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman," Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: "We will figure it all out!" Jaya Jaitly says Sonia Gandhi facilitated framing of corruption charges against her Former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly has said the then UPA government and especially Congress President Sonia Gandhi had facilitated the framing of corruption charges against her. Jaitly is accused of accepting a Rs two-lakh bribe in 2001. She has made her accusations in her memoir 'Life Among the Scorpions: Memoirs of an Indian Woman in Public Life', due to be released today. Texas church shooting witness: 'He wouldn't stop' Witnesses have described the horror that unfolded after 26-year-old gunman Devin Patrick Kelley started shooting at a Sunday church service congregation. "He wouldn't stop," said one. She described the one image seared into her mind: the gunman's body convulsions as he emptied his assault rifle. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish says time for reservation in private sector "It`s my opinion that there must be reservation in the private sector too. There must be a debate on this at the national level," Nitish said. Mamata calls GST 'Great Selfish Tax' Rahul Gandhi started by calling it the "Gabbar Singh Tax". Taking her cue from him, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has now called it the "Great Selfish Tax".

WION morning news brief, November 7, 2017

US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to &quot;figure it all out&quot; with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies&#39; differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North.

As tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s weapons programme have soared, the US president has traded personal insults and threats of war with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but the South&#39;s capital and its 10 million inhabitants would be on the front line of any conflict.

&quot;Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman,&quot; Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: &quot;We will figure it all out!&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/927648870796070912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The tone was in marked contrast to a previous Trump tweet in which he accused Moon -- who has backed engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table -- of &quot;appeasement&quot;.&nbsp;

Trump flies in from Japan after securing Tokyo&#39;s full support for Washington&#39;s stance that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; regarding Pyongyang, and declaring its nuclear ambitions &quot;a threat to the civilised world and international peace and stability&quot;.

He enjoyed three days of near-bromance with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling him &quot;wonderful&quot; after a round of golf and describing US-Japan ties as &quot;really extraordinary&quot;.

Trump&#39;s relationship with Moon, a former human rights lawyer, is noticeably cooler, stoking concerns about the decades-old alliance and fears in Seoul that it could be sidelined by the US in favour of Tokyo.

South Korea will roll out the red carpet for Trump as it seeks messages of assurance about the alliance and US resolve.

At the same time, while Trump has threatened Pyongyang with &quot;fire and fury&quot;, Moon is mindful that much of Seoul is within range of the North&#39;s artillery and in an address to parliament last week demanded: &quot;There should be no military action on the peninsula without our prior consent.&quot;

In an editorial Tuesday ahead of Trump&#39;s arrival, the Korea Times said of the US president: &quot;His &#39;rhetorical bombs&#39; say it all.&quot;

It added: &quot;However calm Koreans are reported to be about the Trump-Kim war of words, we cherish our lives as much as Americans do theirs and feel scared by the outlook of war.&quot;

Kim Hyun-Wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, told AFP that the two allies have &quot;subtle differences in their positions&quot; and underlying suspicions about each other.

&#39;Reckless remarks&#39; 
Citizens views are mixed, with both &quot;No Trump&quot; and &quot;Welcome President Trump&quot; demonstrations taking place in downtown Seoul since the weekend, sometimes only a few blocks apart.

North Korea -- which carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date in September -- itself welcomed Trump to the region with a rhetorical volley via the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, warning a &quot;spiritually instable&quot; president against making &quot;reckless remarks&quot;.

Another issue will be trade between the two nations, with Trump expected to bring up the renegotiation of the five-year-old US-Korea free trade agreement which he has called a &quot;horrible deal&quot; and a &quot;job killer&quot;.

His first stop in the South will be Camp Humphreys, where US forces stationed in the country have moved their headquarters from downtown Seoul.

Later he will have a summit with Moon at the Blue House, followed by a lavish dinner with live concerts by both Korean traditional musicians and K-pop artists.

On Wednesday, Trump will speak to South Korean MPs but his visit will not include a trip to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula, with the administration downplaying the destination as &quot;a little bit of a cliche&quot;.

Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by a president given to off-the-cuff remarks could send tensions rising on the peninsula.

&quot;If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again,&quot; said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

'Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!' Trump tweeted

US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to "figure it all out" with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies' differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North. As tensions over Pyongyang's weapons programme have soared, the US president has traded personal insults and threats of war with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but the South's capital and its 10 million inhabitants would be on the front line of any conflict. "Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman," Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: "We will figure it all out!" Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2017 × The tone was in marked contrast to a previous Trump tweet in which he accused Moon -- who has backed engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table -- of "appeasement". Trump flies in from Japan after securing Tokyo's full support for Washington's stance that "all options are on the table" regarding Pyongyang, and declaring its nuclear ambitions "a threat to the civilised world and international peace and stability". He enjoyed three days of near-bromance with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling him "wonderful" after a round of golf and describing US-Japan ties as "really extraordinary". Trump's relationship with Moon, a former human rights lawyer, is noticeably cooler, stoking concerns about the decades-old alliance and fears in Seoul that it could be sidelined by the US in favour of Tokyo. South Korea will roll out the red carpet for Trump as it seeks messages of assurance about the alliance and US resolve. At the same time, while Trump has threatened Pyongyang with "fire and fury", Moon is mindful that much of Seoul is within range of the North's artillery and in an address to parliament last week demanded: "There should be no military action on the peninsula without our prior consent." In an editorial Tuesday ahead of Trump's arrival, the Korea Times said of the US president: "His 'rhetorical bombs' say it all." It added: "However calm Koreans are reported to be about the Trump-Kim war of words, we cherish our lives as much as Americans do theirs and feel scared by the outlook of war." Kim Hyun-Wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, told AFP that the two allies have "subtle differences in their positions" and underlying suspicions about each other. 'Reckless remarks' Citizens views are mixed, with both "No Trump" and "Welcome President Trump" demonstrations taking place in downtown Seoul since the weekend, sometimes only a few blocks apart. North Korea -- which carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date in September -- itself welcomed Trump to the region with a rhetorical volley via the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, warning a "spiritually instable" president against making "reckless remarks". Another issue will be trade between the two nations, with Trump expected to bring up the renegotiation of the five-year-old US-Korea free trade agreement which he has called a "horrible deal" and a "job killer". His first stop in the South will be Camp Humphreys, where US forces stationed in the country have moved their headquarters from downtown Seoul. Later he will have a summit with Moon at the Blue House, followed by a lavish dinner with live concerts by both Korean traditional musicians and K-pop artists. On Wednesday, Trump will speak to South Korean MPs but his visit will not include a trip to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula, with the administration downplaying the destination as "a little bit of a cliche". Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by a president given to off-the-cuff remarks could send tensions rising on the peninsula. "If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again," said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

Trump promises to 'figure it all out' -- meaning North Korea -- with South Korean President

US President Donald Trump would &quot;certainly be open&quot; to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, he said in an interview broadcast Sunday as he began an extended Asian tour.

Asked by journalist Sharyl Attkisson, host of the &quot;Full Measure&quot; TV show, whether he would ever consider sitting down with &quot;the dictator,&quot; Trump said he was holding meetings with numerous Asian leaders.

&quot;I would sit down with anybody,&quot; he said. &quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing.

&quot;So I would certainly be open to doing that but we&#39;ll see where it goes, I think we&#39;re far too early.&quot;

Trump&#39;s conciliatory-sounding comment came after months of fiery rhetorical exchanges between the two leaders, prompted by a series of internationally condemned nuclear and missile tests by the North.

The North has denounced Trump as a &quot;mentally deranged US dotard,&quot; or senile old man, and the country&#39;s ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun referred to him Sunday as &quot;instable.&quot;

Trump, for his part, has mocked Kim as &quot;Little Rocket Man&quot; and has vowed to rain &quot;fire and fury&quot; down on the North if it threatens the US or its allies.

Trump&#39;s latest comment appeared to be something of a reversal from a Twitter message he sent just over a month ago, in which he said that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was &quot;wasting his time&quot; trying to negotiate with the North Korean leader.

The war of words has been deeply unsettling for US allies in the region, including Japan, where Trump met Sunday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korea, where he is to meet Tuesday with President Moon Jae-In.

Trump then travels to China on Wednesday, Vietnam on Friday and the Philippines on Sunday.

The interview was broadcast as a letter by the US Defense Department emerged that said the only way to locate and secure all of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons sites would be via ground invasion.

A spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed to AFP that Rear Admiral Michael Dumont sent a letter to several members of Congress in response to a request for details about the plan for military action against North Korea.

Ted Lieu, a Democratic member of Congress whom the letter was addressed to, posted a copy of the two-page correspondence on his website.

&quot;The only way to &#39;locate and destroy -- with complete certainty -- all components of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programs&#39; is through a ground invasion&quot; it said.

It added &quot;a classified briefing is the best venue for a detailed discussion&quot; of such a plan.

'I would sit down with anybody,' Trump said. 'I don't think it's strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing'

US President Donald Trump would "certainly be open" to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, he said in an interview broadcast Sunday as he began an extended Asian tour. Asked by journalist Sharyl Attkisson, host of the "Full Measure" TV show, whether he would ever consider sitting down with "the dictator," Trump said he was holding meetings with numerous Asian leaders. "I would sit down with anybody," he said. "I don't think it's strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing. "So I would certainly be open to doing that but we'll see where it goes, I think we're far too early." Trump's conciliatory-sounding comment came after months of fiery rhetorical exchanges between the two leaders, prompted by a series of internationally condemned nuclear and missile tests by the North. The North has denounced Trump as a "mentally deranged US dotard," or senile old man, and the country's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun referred to him Sunday as "instable." Trump, for his part, has mocked Kim as "Little Rocket Man" and has vowed to rain "fire and fury" down on the North if it threatens the US or its allies. Trump's latest comment appeared to be something of a reversal from a Twitter message he sent just over a month ago, in which he said that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with the North Korean leader. The war of words has been deeply unsettling for US allies in the region, including Japan, where Trump met Sunday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korea, where he is to meet Tuesday with President Moon Jae-In. Trump then travels to China on Wednesday, Vietnam on Friday and the Philippines on Sunday. The interview was broadcast as a letter by the US Defense Department emerged that said the only way to locate and secure all of North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via ground invasion. A spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed to AFP that Rear Admiral Michael Dumont sent a letter to several members of Congress in response to a request for details about the plan for military action against North Korea. Ted Lieu, a Democratic member of Congress whom the letter was addressed to, posted a copy of the two-page correspondence on his website. "The only way to 'locate and destroy -- with complete certainty -- all components of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs' is through a ground invasion" it said. It added "a classified briefing is the best venue for a detailed discussion" of such a plan.

In U-turn, Trump says he's 'open' to meeting Kim Jong-Un

North Korea slammed US President Donald Trump as &quot;incurably mentally deranged&quot; in a personal diatribe ahead of his first visit to Asia as head of state, amid high tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

Trump and the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

Trump has warned of &quot;fire and fury&quot; and &quot;calm before the storm&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

He dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech -&nbsp;Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -&nbsp;and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling Trump a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

The US president is due in Asia at the weekend and ahead of his arrival the North&#39;s state-run KCNA news agency lashed out at &quot;bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric&quot; by the &quot;master of invective&quot;.

&quot;He absolutely needs medicine for curing his psychical disorder,&quot; it said.

The US has deployed key military assets including jet fighters and aircraft carriers near the peninsula following the North&#39;s sixth nuclear test in September, which also saw the United Nations impose an eighth set of sanctions on the isolated country.

KCNA described the sanctions drive as &quot;desperate efforts&quot; that would prove ineffective and Trump&#39;s hostile rhetoric as &quot;hysteric spasmodic symptoms&quot;.

Trump, it said late yesterday, &quot;disclosed his true nature as a nuclear war maniac before the world and was diagnosed as &#39;incurably mentally deranged&#39;&quot;.

Trump&#39;s itinerary includes Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim.

Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against possible invasion by the US.

During a November 7-8 visit to the South -&nbsp;a security ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops - Trump is due to address Seoul&#39;s parliament and visit a US military base, although he will not go to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Koreas.

Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

North Korea slammed US President Donald Trump as "incurably mentally deranged" in a personal diatribe ahead of his first visit to Asia as head of state, amid high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula. Trump has warned of "fire and fury" and "calm before the storm", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. He dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech - Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland - and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling Trump a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. The US president is due in Asia at the weekend and ahead of his arrival the North's state-run KCNA news agency lashed out at "bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric" by the "master of invective". "He absolutely needs medicine for curing his psychical disorder," it said. The US has deployed key military assets including jet fighters and aircraft carriers near the peninsula following the North's sixth nuclear test in September, which also saw the United Nations impose an eighth set of sanctions on the isolated country. KCNA described the sanctions drive as "desperate efforts" that would prove ineffective and Trump's hostile rhetoric as "hysteric spasmodic symptoms". Trump, it said late yesterday, "disclosed his true nature as a nuclear war maniac before the world and was diagnosed as 'incurably mentally deranged'". Trump's itinerary includes Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim. Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against possible invasion by the US. During a November 7-8 visit to the South - a security ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops - Trump is due to address Seoul's parliament and visit a US military base, although he will not go to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Koreas.

North Korea slams 'incurably mentally deranged' Trump

In the latest release report by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, former UN human rights official, David Hawk has described the brutal conditions faced by the prisoners of North Korea.&nbsp;

The report also included satellite images of the country showing a series of prisons.

Hawk describes the political prisons as &quot;system of arbitrary detention and severe repression&quot;.

The report highlights the horrific treatment of the prisons which includes &quot;grossly inadequate food rations&quot; resulting in consistent hunger and malnutrition.&nbsp;

The prisoners are also forced to do extremely dangerous and manual labour such as mining, farming, and logging.

The report&nbsp;mention of a large number of deaths occurred due to lack of medicine, inadequate diet, and brutal labour.&nbsp;

To top it all the report also reveals that many people are detained for &quot;crimes that are not really crimes&quot;.

The North Korean Criminal Code awards severe punishment for anything that it considers dissent and against the state. Similar treatment is given to unauthorised gatherings, hostile and superstitious activities.

Pyongyang&nbsp;refuses to accept the existence of its political penal labour camps called kwan-li-so. It says prisoners in its long term &quot;re-education&quot; penitentiaries known as kyo-hwa-so and run by police force are treated with &quot;warm love and consideration&quot;.

The UN has also accused North Korea authorities of committing crimes against humanity in political prisons.

The United States has sanctioned North Korea on Thursday for &quot;flagrant abuses of human rights&quot; by military and regime officials.

The report mention of a large number of deaths due to lack of medicine, inadequate diet, and brutal labour

In the latest release report by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, former UN human rights official, David Hawk has described the brutal conditions faced by the prisoners of North Korea. The report also included satellite images of the country showing a series of prisons. Hawk describes the political prisons as "system of arbitrary detention and severe repression". The report highlights the horrific treatment of the prisons which includes "grossly inadequate food rations" resulting in consistent hunger and malnutrition. The prisoners are also forced to do extremely dangerous and manual labour such as mining, farming, and logging. The report mention of a large number of deaths occurred due to lack of medicine, inadequate diet, and brutal labour. To top it all the report also reveals that many people are detained for "crimes that are not really crimes". The North Korean Criminal Code awards severe punishment for anything that it considers dissent and against the state. Similar treatment is given to unauthorised gatherings, hostile and superstitious activities. Pyongyang refuses to accept the existence of its political penal labour camps called kwan-li-so. It says prisoners in its long term "re-education" penitentiaries known as kyo-hwa-so and run by police force are treated with "warm love and consideration". The UN has also accused North Korea authorities of committing crimes against humanity in political prisons. The United States has sanctioned North Korea on Thursday for "flagrant abuses of human rights" by military and regime officials.

Brutal torture in network of prisons in North Korea: Report

Two women pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering the half-brother of North Korea&#39;s leader, at the start of their trial in Malaysia over the Cold War-style assassination that shocked the world.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who arrived at the heavily guarded court in handcuffs and wearing bulletproof vests, entered their pleas through interpreters as proceedings got underway.

The defendants were arrested just days after the killing of Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 as he waited to board a plane to Macau at Kuala Lumpur airport.

The women are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction, on his face.&nbsp;

Kim died an agonising death about 20 minutes after the hit, which was caught on airport CCTV as the VX rapidly shut down his central nervous system.

The defendants -- who face the death penalty if convicted -- claim they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show.&nbsp;

The murder sparked an angry row between North Korea and Malaysia with both countries expelling each other&#39;s ambassadors.&nbsp;

The women were led into Sham Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur, in handcuffs for the start of the trial. Aisyah, 25, was wearing traditional Malaysian dress and Huong, 29, a blue jumper.&nbsp;

The murder charge was read to them in their native languages and interpreters assigned to the defendants indicated they were pleading not guilty.

Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad then read a statement giving details of the murder and said the prosecution had sufficient evidence to prove the women&#39;s guilt.

&quot;We will provide evidence that the dead victim was at (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) departure lounge when Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong approached the dead victim and swiped a poisoned liquid on the face and eyes of the victim,&quot; he told the court.

&quot;The evidence clearly showed that their action to swipe the poison known as VX caused the death of the victim. Expert evidence will be shown that the VX was the cause of death and the chance to save him were extremely slim.&quot;

He said the women had carried out exercises with four other people before the murder to ensure they succeeded in their &quot;common intention&quot; of killing Kim.

&quot;Murder mystery&quot; 
 
Defence lawyers immediately demanded the court reveal the names of four other people charged with the murder.&nbsp;

The four were formally accused in March of the assassination alongside Aisyah and Huong but authorities said they were still at large and have not disclosed their names.

Police have said four North Korean suspects fled Malaysia on the day of the murder, and the women&#39;s defence teams insist these individuals are the main suspects.

About 200 police officers had been deployed to guard the court. The defendants arrived in a convoy of police cars with their sirens blaring.&nbsp;

The trial could at last shed light on the many unanswered questions surrounding the murder.&nbsp;

These range from how two women living precarious existences among Malaysia&#39;s army of migrant workers allegedly became involved in a high-profile assassination, to how a lethal nerve agent was deployed in an airport and killed Kim but harmed no one else.&nbsp;

South Korea accuses the North of being behind the murder of Kim Jong-Un&#39;s estranged half-brother, who had voiced criticism of the regime after falling from grace and going to live in exile overseas.

The North denies the allegation.

The run-up to the trial has been marked by fierce criticism from the women&#39;s lawyers who say the accused are the fall guys in the case.

As well as the North Koreans who fled immediately after the assassination, several others allegedly linked to the murder plot were allowed to leave the country later to ease the diplomatic crisis.&nbsp;

The women&#39;s legal teams also accuse prosecutors of dragging their heels on handing over key material required to mount a defence.

Prosecutors -- who insist the women will get a fair trial -- will lay out their case over two months and call 30 to 40 witnesses. The defence is then likely to be called.

Prior to the murder, Malaysia had been one of Pyongyang&#39;s few allies amid a global outcry over the country&#39;s atomic weapons programme.

After the assassination sent diplomatic relations plummeting between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur, tensions only eased when Malaysia agreed to return Kim&#39;s body in March.&nbsp;

The women are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction, on his face

Two women pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering the half-brother of North Korea's leader, at the start of their trial in Malaysia over the Cold War-style assassination that shocked the world. Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who arrived at the heavily guarded court in handcuffs and wearing bulletproof vests, entered their pleas through interpreters as proceedings got underway. The defendants were arrested just days after the killing of Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 as he waited to board a plane to Macau at Kuala Lumpur airport. The women are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction, on his face. Kim died an agonising death about 20 minutes after the hit, which was caught on airport CCTV as the VX rapidly shut down his central nervous system. The defendants -- who face the death penalty if convicted -- claim they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show. The murder sparked an angry row between North Korea and Malaysia with both countries expelling each other's ambassadors. The women were led into Sham Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur, in handcuffs for the start of the trial. Aisyah, 25, was wearing traditional Malaysian dress and Huong, 29, a blue jumper. The murder charge was read to them in their native languages and interpreters assigned to the defendants indicated they were pleading not guilty. Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad then read a statement giving details of the murder and said the prosecution had sufficient evidence to prove the women's guilt. "We will provide evidence that the dead victim was at (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) departure lounge when Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong approached the dead victim and swiped a poisoned liquid on the face and eyes of the victim," he told the court. "The evidence clearly showed that their action to swipe the poison known as VX caused the death of the victim. Expert evidence will be shown that the VX was the cause of death and the chance to save him were extremely slim." He said the women had carried out exercises with four other people before the murder to ensure they succeeded in their "common intention" of killing Kim. "Murder mystery" Defence lawyers immediately demanded the court reveal the names of four other people charged with the murder. The four were formally accused in March of the assassination alongside Aisyah and Huong but authorities said they were still at large and have not disclosed their names. Police have said four North Korean suspects fled Malaysia on the day of the murder, and the women's defence teams insist these individuals are the main suspects. About 200 police officers had been deployed to guard the court. The defendants arrived in a convoy of police cars with their sirens blaring. The trial could at last shed light on the many unanswered questions surrounding the murder. These range from how two women living precarious existences among Malaysia's army of migrant workers allegedly became involved in a high-profile assassination, to how a lethal nerve agent was deployed in an airport and killed Kim but harmed no one else. South Korea accuses the North of being behind the murder of Kim Jong-Un's estranged half-brother, who had voiced criticism of the regime after falling from grace and going to live in exile overseas. The North denies the allegation. The run-up to the trial has been marked by fierce criticism from the women's lawyers who say the accused are the fall guys in the case. As well as the North Koreans who fled immediately after the assassination, several others allegedly linked to the murder plot were allowed to leave the country later to ease the diplomatic crisis. The women's legal teams also accuse prosecutors of dragging their heels on handing over key material required to mount a defence. Prosecutors -- who insist the women will get a fair trial -- will lay out their case over two months and call 30 to 40 witnesses. The defence is then likely to be called. Prior to the murder, Malaysia had been one of Pyongyang's few allies amid a global outcry over the country's atomic weapons programme. After the assassination sent diplomatic relations plummeting between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur, tensions only eased when Malaysia agreed to return Kim's body in March.

Women plead not guilty to murdering North Korea leader's half-brother

North Korea&#39;s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho has said his country may test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.&nbsp;

The test, if it comes, would be carried out in response to US President Donald Trump&#39;s assertion that should America be threatened, it would be forced to &quot;totally destroy&quot; North Korea.&nbsp;

Ho made his comments to reporters in New York, where the UN General Assembly is currently in session.&nbsp;

Ho however added that the final decision over whether to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific or not would be taken by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp;

&quot;This could probably mean the strongest hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean. Regarding which measures to take, I don&#39;t really know since it is what Kim Jong Un does,&quot; CNN reported Ho as saying.

Trump has already announced the ramping up of sanctions on North Korea. To which Kim replied by calling him &quot;mentally deranged&quot;.&nbsp;

North Korea has of late conducted a series of bomb tests which have been followed by threats and sanctions from the US, leading to a constant ramping up of tensions between the two countries.&nbsp;

The comment was made by North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho

North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho has said his country may test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. The test, if it comes, would be carried out in response to US President Donald Trump's assertion that should America be threatened, it would be forced to "totally destroy" North Korea. Ho made his comments to reporters in New York, where the UN General Assembly is currently in session. Ho however added that the final decision over whether to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific or not would be taken by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. "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," CNN reported Ho as saying. Trump has already announced the ramping up of sanctions on North Korea. To which Kim replied by calling him "mentally deranged". North Korea has of late conducted a series of bomb tests which have been followed by threats and sanctions from the US, leading to a constant ramping up of tensions between the two countries.

WATCH: North Korea says it may test hydrogen bomb over Pacific

He said the US, should it be threatened, would have no choice but to destroy North Korea

READ: Full text of Donald Trump's UN speech

China&#39;s President Xi Jinping told Donald Trump Wednesday that Beijing remains committed to denuclearising North Korea as the US president warned again that any Pyongyang threat would trigger an &quot;overwhelming&quot; response.

In a phone call with Trump, Xi also said China remains firm in its wish to resolve the issue through talks leading to a peaceful settlement, state news agency Xinhua reported, as tensions soared over North Korea&#39;s pursuit of nuclear weaponry.

The conversation came after Pyongyang on Sunday triggered global alarm with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

&quot;Xi said China has been adamant in preserving international nuclear non-proliferation, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks,&quot; the report said.

&quot;The Chinese president said the general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue, adding that dialogue combined with a set of comprehensive measures is best for seeking a long-term solution,&quot; it added.

The US has accused North Korea of &quot;begging for war&quot; and pushed for the &quot;strongest possible measures&quot; against Pyongyang.

Washington has also rejected China&#39;s proposal for a freeze on North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korea military drills.

In a phone call with Trump, Xi also said China remains firm in its wish to resolve the issue through talks

China's President Xi Jinping told Donald Trump Wednesday that Beijing remains committed to denuclearising North Korea as the US president warned again that any Pyongyang threat would trigger an "overwhelming" response. In a phone call with Trump, Xi also said China remains firm in its wish to resolve the issue through talks leading to a peaceful settlement, state news agency Xinhua reported, as tensions soared over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weaponry. The conversation came after Pyongyang on Sunday triggered global alarm with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. "Xi said China has been adamant in preserving international nuclear non-proliferation, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks," the report said. "The Chinese president said the general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue, adding that dialogue combined with a set of comprehensive measures is best for seeking a long-term solution," it added. The US has accused North Korea of "begging for war" and pushed for the "strongest possible measures" against Pyongyang. Washington has also rejected China's proposal for a freeze on North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korea military drills.

Xi tells Trump Beijing firm on North Korea denuclearisation

North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, the US military said, following weeks of heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.

The missile launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the South, which Pyongyang views as a highly provocative rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory.

Two of the missiles failed in flight and the third blew up &quot;almost immediately&quot;, said a spokesman for US Pacific Command.

None of the missiles, which were launched near Kittaeryong, had posed a threat to either North America or the US Pacific territory of Guam, the spokesman said.

&quot;The first and third missiles... failed in flight. The second missile launch... appears to have blown up almost immediately,&quot; said the spokesman, Commander Dave Benham, adding that the launches happened over a span of 30 minutes.

Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government&#39;s top spokesman, told reporters in Tokyo Saturday morning: &quot;We confirmed that no ballistic missiles have fallen onto our country&#39;s territory or EEZ (exclusive economic zone).&quot;

&quot;We confirmed there was no direct impact on our country&#39;s security. Our prime minister told us to remain on high alert and do our best to respond to any situations in order to protect our people&#39;s lives and property.&quot;

The launches came as North Korea state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, &quot;multiple-missile launchers&quot; and howitzers.

Shells hit islands standing in for South Korea&#39;s Paekryong and Taeyonphyong islands while special forces landed in rubber boats or parachuted in and &quot;wiped out the desperate enemy with various combat methods,&quot; the Korean Central News Agency said.

&quot;Kim Jong-Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful target-striking contest,&quot; it said.

Advances in missile technology 
South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said &quot;unidentified projectiles&quot;, fired at 6:49 am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the Sea of Japan.

The North&#39;s move was immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

&quot;The military is keeping a tight surveillance over the North to cope with further provocations&quot;, the ministry added.

The North tends to carry out test-firing of missiles or other projectiles -- including those from long-range multiple rocket launchers -- in response to the US-South Korea joint military exercises.

The &quot;Ulchi Freedom Guardian&quot; war games are a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South. Pyongyang threatens strong military counteraction each year.

In recent weeks the North has threatened to fire a salvo of missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam, but has since backed away from the plan and tensions have eased.

Under Kim, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology, which it is banned from pursuing under United Nations resolutions that have slapped it with seven sets of sanctions.

Last month it carried out two successful ICBM launches, overseen by Kim and apparently bringing most of its sworn enemy the United States into range for the first time.

The missile launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the South

North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, the US military said, following weeks of heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. The missile launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the South, which Pyongyang views as a highly provocative rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory. Two of the missiles failed in flight and the third blew up "almost immediately", said a spokesman for US Pacific Command. None of the missiles, which were launched near Kittaeryong, had posed a threat to either North America or the US Pacific territory of Guam, the spokesman said. "The first and third missiles... failed in flight. The second missile launch... appears to have blown up almost immediately," said the spokesman, Commander Dave Benham, adding that the launches happened over a span of 30 minutes. Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government's top spokesman, told reporters in Tokyo Saturday morning: "We confirmed that no ballistic missiles have fallen onto our country's territory or EEZ (exclusive economic zone)." "We confirmed there was no direct impact on our country's security. Our prime minister told us to remain on high alert and do our best to respond to any situations in order to protect our people's lives and property." The launches came as North Korea state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, "multiple-missile launchers" and howitzers. Shells hit islands standing in for South Korea's Paekryong and Taeyonphyong islands while special forces landed in rubber boats or parachuted in and "wiped out the desperate enemy with various combat methods," the Korean Central News Agency said. "Kim Jong-Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful target-striking contest," it said. Advances in missile technology South Korea's defence ministry said "unidentified projectiles", fired at 6:49 am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the Sea of Japan. The North's move was immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "The military is keeping a tight surveillance over the North to cope with further provocations", the ministry added. The North tends to carry out test-firing of missiles or other projectiles -- including those from long-range multiple rocket launchers -- in response to the US-South Korea joint military exercises. The "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" war games are a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South. Pyongyang threatens strong military counteraction each year. In recent weeks the North has threatened to fire a salvo of missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam, but has since backed away from the plan and tensions have eased. Under Kim, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology, which it is banned from pursuing under United Nations resolutions that have slapped it with seven sets of sanctions. Last month it carried out two successful ICBM launches, overseen by Kim and apparently bringing most of its sworn enemy the United States into range for the first time.

North Korea fires three short-range missiles: US Army

US President Donald Trump on Friday said a military option against North Korea was &quot;locked and loaded,&quot; his latest salvo in an escalating war of words with Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear-armed regime.

&quot;Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!&quot; Trump tweeted.

The US president&#39;s Twitter missive ratcheted up his already bellicose rhetoric with Kim over North Korea&#39;s weapons program, as Beijing appealed to the two leaders to dampen their fiery exchange.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/any-new-korean-war-could-quickly-escalate-to-catastrophe-18910" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe</a>

A day prior Trump had hardened his warning that Pyongyang would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it kept threatening the United States, saying maybe his tough talk &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

Trump also warned North Korea it should be &quot;very, very nervous&quot; of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after Pyongyang said it was readying plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory of Guam.

Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to &quot;signal a crucial warning&quot; as &quot;only absolute force&quot; would have an effect on a US leader &quot;bereft of reason.&quot;

Beijing on Friday pleaded with the US and North Korea for restraint, urging the two parties &quot;to be cautious with their words and actions.&quot;

China has repeatedly urged a resumption of long-dormant six-party talks to peacefully resolve the crisis, but its position has been overshadowed by the emerging brinkmanship between Trump and Kim.

On Thursday Trump had warned that Pyongyang would face 'fire and fury' if it kept threatening the United States

US President Donald Trump on Friday said a military option against North Korea was "locked and loaded," his latest salvo in an escalating war of words with Pyongyang's nuclear-armed regime. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!" Trump tweeted. The US president's Twitter missive ratcheted up his already bellicose rhetoric with Kim over North Korea's weapons program, as Beijing appealed to the two leaders to dampen their fiery exchange. Also read: Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe A day prior Trump had hardened his warning that Pyongyang would face "fire and fury" if it kept threatening the United States, saying maybe his tough talk "wasn't tough enough." Trump also warned North Korea it should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after Pyongyang said it was readying plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory of Guam. Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to "signal a crucial warning" as "only absolute force" would have an effect on a US leader "bereft of reason." Beijing on Friday pleaded with the US and North Korea for restraint, urging the two parties "to be cautious with their words and actions." China has repeatedly urged a resumption of long-dormant six-party talks to peacefully resolve the crisis, but its position has been overshadowed by the emerging brinkmanship between Trump and Kim.

Military option with North Korea 'locked and loaded': Trump

Any new military conflict with North Korea would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War Two and an untold economic impact worldwide, former U.S. defence officials and experts say.

While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality, they say.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/military-option-with-north-korea-locked-and-loaded-trump-18908" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Military option with North Korea &#39;locked and loaded&#39;</a>

On Thursday, North Korea upped the ante by saying it would complete plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, after Trump said that any threats by Pyongyang would be &quot;met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fire-and-fury-warning-to-north-korea-maybe-not-enough-trump-18872" target="_blank">Also read: &#39;Fire and fury&#39;&nbsp;warning to North Korea maybe not enough, says Trump</a>

The exchange followed a United Nations resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States.

Trump said on Thursday his fire and fury comment was not tough enough.

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Despite the war of words, for now the U.S. military says there has been no change in its readiness posture in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. Analysts say they have seen no evidence of any increased alert in North Korea.

But they warned the bluster could raise the risk of miscalculation that could result in conflict far beyond the scale of the 1950-53 Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and ended in an armed truce, not a peace treaty.

&quot;The major thing people are talking about is miscalculation - we could easily stumble into something with the rhetoric being so heated,&quot; said Philip Yun, a Korea expert who was an Asia adviser under former President Bill Clinton.

Yun, now executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation initiative, said the risks were exacerbated by the &quot;credibility problem&quot; Trump has acquired due to his frequent off-the-cuff remarks that often appear to go counter to the more measured remarks of his officials.

&quot;In nuclear deterrence, credibility is everything and there&#39;s a situation that if no-one takes you seriously, you have to do something to make sure you are taken seriously, and that&#39;s where the miscalculation can happen,&quot; Yun said.

With hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals arrayed on both sides of a tense demilitarized zone, the Korean peninsula has long been a tinder box.

North Korea&#39;s acquisition of nuclear weapons and its hell-for-leather development of an array of missiles to deliver them, have raised the stakes further.

Catastrophic casualties

Even a conventional clash could cause catastrophic casualties, given the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces ranged along the border, at least 1,000 of which are capable of reaching the densely populated South Korean capital Seoul and its metropolitan area, home to some 25 million people.

&quot;It would be very difficult to eliminate that threat before the artillery fire could create a lot of damage on the southern side,&quot; David Shear, who served as the senior U.S. defence official for east Asia under former president Barack Obama, told Reuters.

&quot;I take projections of casualties of thousands to tens of thousands quite seriously and that&#39;s just in South Korea - it&#39;s possible North Korea could attack Japan as well.&quot;

The real danger of any preemptive U.S. strikes against North Korea&#39;s weapons sites would be that Pyongyang, whose conventional forces are considered no match for those of the United States and its allies, might resort to using its chemical and biological weapons and ultimately its nuclear arsenal.

Then there is the potential for casualties running into the millions.

&quot;If they did launch they could potentially wipe out cities in South Korea and Japan, and in the longer term maybe reach the U.S. West Coast and even further inland,&quot; said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Program at the Federation of American Scientists.

Even if everything went right for the Pentagon, a U.S. strike campaign against North Korea would take up to a week to be effective, said Kristensen.

A former U.S. military officer who served multiple tours in South Korea and Japan said that to succeed completely, it would take at least a month, given how well protected and dispersed North Korean targets were.

&quot;And it would provoke a massive North Korean reaction, even when they spotted preparation for such a strike, or the instant one began.&quot;

Yun said the catastrophe would not just be human.

&quot;If we had a war, think about what it means. You are talking South Korea, the 11th largest economy in the world, Japan, the third largest economy, and you are talking about ground troops on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;Donald Trump&#39;s agenda would be consumed by this. Nothing else would get done. It&#39;s against his interest and it&#39;s not really an option.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Any conflict would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons

Any new military conflict with North Korea would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War Two and an untold economic impact worldwide, former U.S. defence officials and experts say. While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality, they say. Also read: Military option with North Korea 'locked and loaded' On Thursday, North Korea upped the ante by saying it would complete plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, after Trump said that any threats by Pyongyang would be "met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." Also read: 'Fire and fury' warning to North Korea maybe not enough, says Trump The exchange followed a United Nations resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States. Trump said on Thursday his fire and fury comment was not tough enough. While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality × Despite the war of words, for now the U.S. military says there has been no change in its readiness posture in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. Analysts say they have seen no evidence of any increased alert in North Korea. But they warned the bluster could raise the risk of miscalculation that could result in conflict far beyond the scale of the 1950-53 Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and ended in an armed truce, not a peace treaty. "The major thing people are talking about is miscalculation - we could easily stumble into something with the rhetoric being so heated," said Philip Yun, a Korea expert who was an Asia adviser under former President Bill Clinton. Yun, now executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation initiative, said the risks were exacerbated by the "credibility problem" Trump has acquired due to his frequent off-the-cuff remarks that often appear to go counter to the more measured remarks of his officials. "In nuclear deterrence, credibility is everything and there's a situation that if no-one takes you seriously, you have to do something to make sure you are taken seriously, and that's where the miscalculation can happen," Yun said. With hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals arrayed on both sides of a tense demilitarized zone, the Korean peninsula has long been a tinder box. North Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons and its hell-for-leather development of an array of missiles to deliver them, have raised the stakes further. Catastrophic casualties Even a conventional clash could cause catastrophic casualties, given the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces ranged along the border, at least 1,000 of which are capable of reaching the densely populated South Korean capital Seoul and its metropolitan area, home to some 25 million people. "It would be very difficult to eliminate that threat before the artillery fire could create a lot of damage on the southern side," David Shear, who served as the senior U.S. defence official for east Asia under former president Barack Obama, told Reuters. "I take projections of casualties of thousands to tens of thousands quite seriously and that's just in South Korea - it's possible North Korea could attack Japan as well." The real danger of any preemptive U.S. strikes against North Korea's weapons sites would be that Pyongyang, whose conventional forces are considered no match for those of the United States and its allies, might resort to using its chemical and biological weapons and ultimately its nuclear arsenal. Then there is the potential for casualties running into the millions. "If they did launch they could potentially wipe out cities in South Korea and Japan, and in the longer term maybe reach the U.S. West Coast and even further inland," said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Program at the Federation of American Scientists. Even if everything went right for the Pentagon, a U.S. strike campaign against North Korea would take up to a week to be effective, said Kristensen. A former U.S. military officer who served multiple tours in South Korea and Japan said that to succeed completely, it would take at least a month, given how well protected and dispersed North Korean targets were. "And it would provoke a massive North Korean reaction, even when they spotted preparation for such a strike, or the instant one began." Yun said the catastrophe would not just be human. "If we had a war, think about what it means. You are talking South Korea, the 11th largest economy in the world, Japan, the third largest economy, and you are talking about ground troops on the Korean peninsula. "Donald Trump's agenda would be consumed by this. Nothing else would get done. It's against his interest and it's not really an option."

Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe

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