Trump cranks up threats, DPRK holds anti-US rally

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US President Donald Trump ramped up the rhetoric against the DPRK at the weekend, warning the country’s foreign minister that he and leader Kim Jong Un “won’t be around much longer.”

His comments came as Pyongyang staged a major anti-US rally.

DPRK’s Foreign Minister, Ri Yong Ho, told the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday that targeting the US mainland with rockets was inevitable after “Mr Evil President” Trump called Kim Jong Un a “rocket man” on a suicide mission.

US President Donald Trump speaks at the United Nations. /Xinhua Photo

“Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea (DPRK) speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won’t be around much longer!” Trump posted on Twitter late on Saturday.

Trump and Kim have traded increasingly threatening and personal insults in recent weeks as Pyongyang races towards its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, something Trump has vowed to prevent.

Analysts say the escalation in rhetoric increases the risk of a miscalculation by one side or the other that could have massive repercussions.

Donald Trump's latest tweet threatening action against the DPRK. /CGTN Screenshot

DPRK’s state-run television service, KRT, aired footage on Sunday showing tens of thousands of people attending an anti-US rally at Kim Il Sung square in the capital, Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, the official KCNA news agency said more than 100,000 people were at the event and delivered speeches supporting comments made by Kim earlier in the week.

“We are waiting for the right time to have a final battle with the US, the evil empire, and to remove the US from the world,” KCNA quoted Ri Il Bae, a commanding officer of the Red Guards, as saying.

“Once respected Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un gives an order, we will annihilate the group of aggressors,” he added.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un walks in Pyongyang. /Xinhua Photo

In an unprecedented direct statement on Friday, Kim described Trump as a “mentally deranged US dotard” whom he would tame with fire.

Kim said the DPRK would consider the “highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history” against the United States and that Trump’s comments had confirmed his nuclear program was “the correct path”.

The comments came after Trump's maiden UN address on Thursday, in which he threatened to “totally destroy” the country of 26 million people.

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Source(s): Reuters