Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
Trump shrugs off concerns over NK's missile launches
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up while playing golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Mobara Country Club in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, Sunday. Yonhap
By Lee Min-hyung
Trump tones down Bolton's hard-line approach to NK
By Lee Min-hyung
U.S. President Donald Trump has shrugged off lingering concerns over North Korea's recent missile tests, saying such “small weapons” would not disturb his confidence in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me,” Trump wrote on Twitter, Sunday. “I have confidence that Kim will keep his promise to me.”
The message came a day after U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton issued a warning over the North's missile tests, saying they were a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“In terms of violating Security Council resolutions, there's no doubt about that,” Bolton said only a few hours before Trump's arrival in Tokyo. Trump is in Japan for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“I think the prime minister and the president (Trump) are going to talk about making sure the integrity of the U.N. Security Council resolutions is maintained,” Bolton said.
Trump is apparently seeking to tone down Bolton's hard-line approach to North Korea by reiterating his good relations with Kim, as the possible collapse of nuclear talks with Pyongyang will only deal a blow to Trump's re-election chances next year.
It remains to be seen whether Pyongyang will go back to the dialogue table with Washington, but a series of military moves are creating a gloomy outlook for the possibility.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang resumed missile launches in a show of force against the nuclear dialogue stalemate with Washington, following the failure of the Hanoi summit between the two leaders in February.
The North's latest expression of discontent came on Friday when its state-run news agency urged Washington to “face the reality” when holding negotiations with Pyongyang.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the North's foreign ministry spokesperson as saying the U.S. is sticking to “unilateral and unrealistic methodologies” in nuclear talks with the North.
“The key reason behind the failed Hanoi summit is because the U.S. took a unilateral and unfavorable attitude by persisting with the unrealistic approach (in handling the denuclearization talks on the Korean Peninsula),” the spokesperson said.
Trump's response to NK media reports
Last week, the KCNA criticized former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for his remarks on Kim Jong-un. The agency described the U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful a “fool of low IQ” in response to Biden's description of Kim as a “tyrant and dictator.”
The KCNA said: “The reckless remark against Kim is a serious political provocation.” It added it would “retaliate against anyone who denounces the North's leader.”
Responding to North Korea's criticism, Trump said in the Twitter message on Sunday: “(I) smiled when he (Kim) called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual and worse. Perhaps that's sending me a signal?”