Trump: North Korean Missile Tests Will Not Happen

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, stated on Sunday that the country is close to testing intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching parts of the United States. Following these remarks, Donald Trump emphasized in a tweet that 'such an event will not happen.' Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing South Korean officials, that the clear warning from the U.S. President-elect to North Korea indicates his awareness of the urgency of the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear program to the U.S. and its allies, and that there will be no change in the policy of isolating North Korea through sanctions. South Korea also believes that Mr. Trump's comments about North Korea, made for the first time since the November 8 elections, serve as a 'clear warning' to the North Korean government and a sign of the 'full awareness' of the President-elect and other senior U.S. officials regarding the importance and urgency of North Korea's nuclear threats. Kellyanne Conway, a senior advisor to Mr. Trump, emphasized early Tuesday in interviews with television networks that the President-elect will take a very hard stance against governments like Iran that seek to expand nuclear weapons. Ms. Conway stated, 'For many Americans, including the President-elect, it has been an issue that, for example, the Iranian government has previously sought to increase its nuclear weapons production capabilities, which led to an agreement [to limit it] with the current administration. Of course, Mr. Trump is not yet President, so he is not currently making policy.' Ms. Conway added, 'We know that sanctions [against North Korea] are currently in place and that there is a possibility of [intensifying] them, and the Chinese government must also play a significant role in this regard; although these sanctions have not always been effective, what Donald Trump has emphasized is that [North Korea will not succeed in developing intercontinental ballistic missiles].' In recent years, North Korea has tested medium-range missiles multiple times but has not succeeded with intercontinental missiles. The United Nations Security Council approved new sanctions against the regime over a month ago following North Korea's fifth nuclear test, but the Pyongyang government has insisted it will continue its nuclear and missile programs.