Kim Jong Un continues to push the envelope.
His provocations have heightened the threat to the United State and her allies.
He just oversaw one move that may be a point of no return.
The North Korean government released pictures showing Jong Un standing over what Pyongyang claimed was a hydrogen bomb.
Hours later, North Korea conducted their sixth nuclear test that registered as their largest ever.
NBC reported:
“North Korea on Sunday claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb designed to be placed on a intercontinental ballistic missile — prompting a barrage of responses from President Donald Trump and for his defense secretary to say they’re not looking to the “total annihilation” of the country.
In response, South Korea conducted a live-fire exercise targeting the North’s nuclear test site that included surface-to-surface and long-range air-to-ground missiles, a South Korean military official told NBC News.
This is the sixth time that North Korea has conducted a nuclear test, and the underground explosion seems likely to ratchet up already high tensions between the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, and President Donald Trump.
“North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb at noon on Sept. 3rd and succeeded totally,” a newscaster announced on state television. “The H-bomb test was carried out to examine and confirm the accuracy and credibility … of [an] H-bomb to be placed in the payload of the [intercontinental ballistic missile].”
A senior U.S. official said Sunday that experts were reviewing the data but “we are highly confident this was a test of an advanced nuclear device and what we’ve seen so far is not inconsistent with North Korea’s claims.”
Donald Trump responded on Twitter.
North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017
..North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017
And Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis warned of a massive military response.
Politico reported:
“Mattis then delivered the military threat outside the West Wing on Sunday afternoon. “Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies, will be met with a massive military response — a response both effective and overwhelming,” Mattis told reporters after meeting at the White House with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so.”
As this crisis continues to escalate, we will keep you up to date on any new developments in this story.
