North Korea may conduct ‘the most powerful test of a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean,’ as part of it’s ‘highest-level’ actions threatened against the united States, said the regime’s top diplomat on Thursday, speaking from New York.
The comments by North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho followed a fiery exchange between U.S. President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
“It could be the most powerful detonation of an H-bomb in the Pacific,” Ri told reporters. “We have no idea about what actions could be taken as it will be ordered by leader Kim Jong-un.”
President Trump did not mince words this week in front of the UN General Assembly, warning that he would “totally destroy North Korea” if the United States was forced to defend itself or its allies. The tough talk was followed by heightened sanctions on the regime, barring individuals, companies and banks from doing business with North Korea.
Kim responded to Trump’s remarks with a poorly translated screed, calling the U.S. President ‘mentally deranged,’ while threatening the ‘highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history.’
Banks face a choice, China picks a side
Bloomberg reports that foreign banks will need to choose between North Korea and the United States, after Trump signed an executive order authorizing the U.S. Treasury to prohibit any foreign individual or entity that does business with North Korea from the U.S. financial system – including foreign banks.
“Foreign banks will face a clear choice: Do business with the United States or facilitate trade with the lawless regime in North Korea,” Trump said. “The regime can no longer count on others to facilitate its trade and banking activities.”
“And I’m very proud to tell you that, as you may have just heard moments ago, China, their central bank has told their other banks — that’s a massive banking system — to immediately stop doing business with North Korea,” he added. “This just happened. It was just reported.”
Trump praised Chinese president Xi Jinping for a “very bold move” in acting to cut off financial ties with North Korea and said it was “somewhat unexpected.”
The new Executive Order also mandates that vessels and aircraft which visit North Korea or engage in ship-to-ship transfers with another ship that has visited North Korea to be banned from the U.S. for 180 days.
More sanctions to come?
Bloomberg also reports that the EU is considering adding sanctions against North Korea, in particular a ban on EU exports of oil to the DPRK, according to Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfanso.
Someone call Rodman, things are getting out of hand.
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