Since Donald Trump obtained the President’s position, he doesn’t keep his tongue in his pocket criticizing without scruples some countries instigating their indignation. But he especially criticizes North Korea that Trump has been condemning since the beginning of the year making the tension with the USA even bigger and worrying the rest of the world.
Old ennemies
The tensions between the two countries have existed for quite a while. At the end of the Korea's War, on the 15th August 1945 after 35 years of Japan’s occupation, Korea was divided in two different countries : North Korea supported by the Soviet Union (at that time), and South Korea supported by the US. In July, 1953, an armistice, never transformed into peace agreement, was signed and Washington imposed penalties in North Korea.
Five years later, in June 1950, North Korea with support of China and the Soviet Union tried to invade the South, unfortunately for them the US came to help the South to retrieve Seoul.
Many other events made the tension grow between the two countries : the Crisis of the «Spy Ship» in 1968, in 2002 Georges Bush qualified North Korea as "Axis of evil" , not to forget Otto Warmbier an American student who was jailed in North Korea in January 2016 for stealing a propaganda poster, and died in June 2017 one week after his repatriation while he was in coma, 3 other Americans are still imprisoned in North Korea at this time.
Since Donald Trump’s speech in January 2017,the tension has never been stronger than now and the possibility of a nuclear war is not to be anymore ruled out.
A Flame Rekinkled
Since the start of the year 2017, North Korea has come out of the shadows and is often expressed in the media. Indeed, the country did nuclear tests and tests of ballistic missiles which do not stop increasing as the days pass. And it doesn't seem to please President Trump who doesn't hesitate to comment on these tests through Twitter :
As we can see in these tweets Trump doesn't hide his displeasure to these tests, not using a professional language "This guy", and evoking China that he criticizes subtly for not helping enough to persuade North Korea to stop its way to the nuclear weapon.
On the other side, North Korea doesn't seem to be intimidated to the multiple threats the U.S send it and intensifies its research. The North-Korean government justifies these as a way to protect itself face to the Americans.
Can we avoid the war ?
The UN and the Security's Council organised meetings to give sanctions to the political regime of Pyongang but without sucess, it seems unstoppable . Insults, threats and provocations do not stop being exchanged between both countries :
- At the start of August 2017, North Koreans declared to study the possibility " to fire " around an island of the Pacific where American soldiers are parked. On the 8th of August in answer to this new provocation Trump promised "Fire and Anger" to North Korea.
- On the 12th of September in answer to the penalties taken by the UN, North Korea promised " Pain " to the United States.
- After the nuclear test during the night between the 2nd and 3rd of September 2017, the Pentagone promised a " massive military answer " to Pyongyang in case of threats aiming at its territory. It is General Mattis, the American secretary of Defense, that sent the warning to Kim Jong's regime. "We have numerous military options and the president wanted to be informed about each of them. Any threat aiming at the United States or at its territories, including the Guam Island, or his allies, will be the object of a massive military answer."
But do we have to take these words exchanged between them seriously ? Only time will tell us.