Story highlights Kim raises possibility of North Korean athletes in Winter Olympics in South Korea
US is closer to nuclear war with North Korea than ever, US official says
(CNN) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned the United States that his country's nuclear capabilities are now complete and the nuclear launch button is always on his desk.
"The entire mainland of the US is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality," said Kim during his annual New Year's Day address, according to a CNN translation of the speech.
"No matter how much America wants to attack us with their military might and nuclear power, they know that now we possess such great nuclear power and therefore they will not dare," Kim said, adding that his country's greatest achievement of 2017 was the "historic accomplishment of completing our nuclear capabilities."
Since coming to power, Kim has overseen a dramatic increase in the pace of North Korea's missile program. As of February last year, Pyongyang has fired off 23 missiles, improving its technology with each launch. In September, the regime carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.
JUST WATCHED Zeldin on NK: Conventional & unconventional options on table Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Zeldin on NK: Conventional & unconventional options on table 03:46
Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, told CNN that Kim's nuclear button comment is "effectively just noise."
Ser_Arthur on January 1st, 2018 at 07:46 UTC »
“New year new me” - Kim Jong Un
RpgTips on January 1st, 2018 at 02:19 UTC »
Which is why other countries have nukes
FI_Throwaway_Lucky on January 1st, 2018 at 02:03 UTC »
Headline seems to have changed.
Regardless, this is a reason to be optimistic. It's a fairly significant shift from previous statements in which Un threatened to nuke us without direct provocation.
It's interesting to see which parts of the speech the media picks up on. Sure there were parts of his speech that were thinly veiled threats, but overall his speech made me a little more optimistic about our NK relations. He seemed more held back and rational, less trigger happy, and more focused on self preservation.
Previously Kim made it sound as though he'd try to destroy us the moment he got a nuclear warhead on an ICBM and now he seems to have transitioned to threatening mutually assured destruction. Don't attack us, and we won't attack you. Nuclear weapons are one of the best things to happen to us because of MAD.
I may be wrong, but it seems like a positive development even though most of the media is narrowing in on the "button on his desk" statement.