In what is a decidedly bad start to 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used his New Year address to state (or at least claim) that all of the U.S. is within range of his country's missile launches.
"The U.S. cannot declare war against us. The entire U.S. territories are within our firing range and the nuclear missile button is right there on my desk," he said on his state TV-broadcasted speech. "We have secured powerful deterrence against the nuclear threat from the US."
As always it's hard to know if that's true. But also, as always, it's not something you really want to figure out.
Kim went on to say, "This year we should focus on mass producing nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles for operational deployment. These weapons will be used only if our security is threatened."
According to CNN, Kim went on to say during his speech that North Korea is "a responsible nuclear nation that loves peace." In defiance of international warning/sanctions, Kim tested ICBMs this past September which marked the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test.
In addition to that unsettling missile talk he also said it was important to de-escalate military tensions with South Korea, while adding that he might send a delegation of his nation's athletes to the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics (which, note, will also be in South Korea).
Related Stories
Donald Trump Calls Kim Jong-Un ‘Rocket Man’ in Strange Tweet
It's never a good sign when a world leader mixes nuclear tough talk with an Elton John reference.
North Korea Tests Its Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb to Date
Labor Day Weekend begins with North Korea detonating a device so powerful it caused a seismic event.
North Korea's Missile Launch Was a Fail
North Korea's attempted missile launch "blew up almost immediately," according to the U.S. military.
