Kim Jong Un: Trump Will Pay a Heavy Price for Threatening North Korea

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, September 22, stating that Trump will pay a heavy price for threatening North Korea with "total destruction." The U.S. President had said on Tuesday that if Pyongyang attacks the U.S. or its allies, America would have no choice but to "totally destroy North Korea." In recent months, tensions between the United States and North Korea have escalated since Trump took office. North Korea's missile tests near Japan and South Korea, two U.S. allies, and Trump's increasingly harsh responses, which have been met with even stronger reactions from North Korea, have heightened these tensions. According to North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, Kim Jong Un stated on Friday: "I will make the person who is in charge of the U.S. military and spoke of the total destruction of North Korea pay a heavy price for these remarks." The North Korean leader expressed doubts about Trump's mental health and criticized him for openly calling for the destruction of an independent and sovereign nation. While Kim warned Trump, the U.S. President signed an executive order on Thursday, September 21, allowing the United States to expand sanctions against North Korean businesses. Trump stated that this executive order would reduce North Korea's revenues, which are used to produce the deadliest weapons in history. According to the U.S. President, North Korea's textile, fishing, telecommunications, and manufacturing industries will be targeted by the new sanctions. Trump said, "For a long time, North Korea has been allowed to exploit the international financial system to invest in its nuclear and missile programs." Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council also unanimously intensified sanctions against Pyongyang on September 11 in response to North Korea's sixth nuclear test. These sanctions targeted North Korea's textile exports and crude oil imports. This is the ninth sanctions resolution against North Korea since 2006.