Tillerson: Trump's tough talk aims to send message to DPRK

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson played down President Donald Trump's incendiary warning to the DPRK on Wednesday, saying he was just "sending a strong message to [the DPRK] in language that Kim Jong Un would understand."

Tillerson, speaking to reporters before landing in Guam, a US-held Pacific island that Pyongyang threatened to strike, said he does not believe there is an imminent threat from the DPRK.

"I think Americans should sleep well at night, have no concerns about this particular rhetoric of the last few days," he said.

US President Donald and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (R) at the White House, June 26, 2017 /Reuters Photo

Trump on Tuesday warned the DPRK it would face "fire and fury" if it threatens the US, prompting the nuclear-armed nation to say it was considering firing missiles at Guam.

"I think what the president was just reaffirming is that the United States has the capability to fully defend itself from any attack, and our allies, and we will do so," Tillerson said.

The international community had a "pretty good week" with respect to the DPRK, he said, citing new UN sanctions and strong statements coming out of a meeting of world leaders in Asia.

Kim Jong Un has suggested DPRK‍ has the capability to strike the US. /Reuters Photo

"In response to that, [the DPRK]'s rhetoric is just ratcheted up, louder and louder and more threatening," Tillerson told reporters. "So I think... what the president is doing is sending a strong message to [the DPRK] in language that Kim Jong Un would understand, because he doesn't seem to understand diplomatic language."

The US wanted to make clear it has the ability to defend itself and its allies, he said, and "avoid any miscalculation" by Pyongyang.

Just moments after Tillerson's remarks were reported, Trump hammered home his tough talk in a Twitter post about US nuclear weapons in what looked like another warning to the DPRK. "My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before," he said.

The DPRK has made no secret of plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile able to strike the US and has ignored international calls to halt its nuclear and missile programs.

Tillerson said he hoped international pressure, including engagement of China and Russia, can persuade the DPRK to reconsider its nuclear ambitions and begin diplomatic dialogue.

He said he never considered dropping his stop in Guam.

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters