Official outlet Rodong Sinmun fired back Monday at remarks
made earlier this month by Mattis, in which he suggested the U.S. take
greater action against North Korea's recent military
buildup. "Mattis is the peerless bellicose element well known to be a
'war-maniac' and 'rabid dog' in the overseas aggression wars. It is ridiculous,
indeed, that such warmonger talked about 'non-military counteraction' and
'diplomatic solution,'" the newspaper wrote, a likely reference to
Mattis' "mad dog" nickname
That same day, a separate Rodong Sinmun article called a
U.S. strike against North Korea "a very foolish act of precipitating
self-ruin" that would effectively put an end to "the empire of
America." The words came in response to the Trump's White House's recent
announcement that Washington's "era of strategic patience" with
North Korea had concluded.
Both Washington and Pyongyang have shot heated statements
toward one another since the latter managed to test-fire its first
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month. In the past few
days, North Korea's government-controlled media has released a series of
charged commentaries attacking political and defense officials in the U.S. as
well as in regional allies Japan and South Korea, among other foes of Kim
Jong Un's government.
While the U.S. enjoys a significant tactical advantage over
North Korea, it's been projected that a conflict between the two nations
could kill at least one million people, even without the use of nuclear
weapons.
North Korea argues its nuclear weapons and
recently-developed ICBMs are necessary to ensure its survival against hostile
foreign powers such as the U.S., which, along with a number of other countries
and organizations, accuses Kim's government of perpetrating vast human rights
abuses. North Korea denies this and charges the U.S. with pursuing an
imperialistic foreign policy around the globe.
That same day, a separate Rodong Sinmun article called a
U.S. strike against North Korea "a very foolish act of precipitating
self-ruin" that would effectively put an end to "the empire of
America." The words came in response to the Trump's White House's recent
announcement that Washington's "era of strategic patience" with
North Korea had concluded.
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