North Korea’s Kim Jong-un said that he wants a peaceful Olympic Games in South Korea. At the same time, he reminded the USA that North Korean nuclear weapons are now a reality.
In his new year’s speech, the leader of North Korea said he sincerely hopes that the South Korean Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games will be peaceful, NBC reported on Twitter. North Korea is considering sending a delegation to the games, according to Kim, who said the country will ‘take the necessary measures’ to participate.
‘North Korea’s participation is a good opportunity to show a total Korean people. Representatives of both countries can soon meet to discuss opportunities,’ said the North Korean leader.
He wished for the best for both North and South Korea in his New Year’s speech. Both the organizers, and the neighboring authorities, have expressed a wish for North Korea to participate, but it will depend on the political climate.
South Korean president Moon Jae-in, stated that North Korea’s participation in the Winter Olympics will ensure the game’s safety, reported Reuters.
Atomic button
But although Kim expressed friendly and peaceful thoughts in the speech, he also talked about the country’s atomic program, and said North Korea has ‘completed’ its nuclear weapons program, and that he now has ‘an atomic button’ on his desktop.
‘The whole of the United States is within reach of our nuclear weapons, and the button to trigger them is always on my desk. There’s no threat, that’s the reality’, Kim said in the speech that was broadcast on Monday morning.
‘Thus, the United States can never start a war against North Korea’, said the leader. He said the country must now mass-produce nuclear weapons, and missiles.
We’ll see
USA’s President, Donald Trump, answered, ‘We’ll see, we’ll see,’ when he was asked about Kim’s statement concerning the ‘atomic button’ on New Year’s Eve.
The United States Department of Foreign Affairs has so far not answered Reuters’ request for a comment on Kim’s new year speech.
A spokesman for South Korea’s president said that they are still going through the speech of the North Korean leader.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
