For the first time since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a verbal spat has erupted between the new US government and the leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The trigger was an interview with new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he labeled the Asian nation a “rogue state.” The US diplomat stated that the unipolar world, which emerged after the end of the Cold War, was an anomaly. The situation has since changed, with Washington facing off against Beijing and, to a certain extent, Moscow.
Additionally, Rubio said, “We’re dealing with rogue states like Iran and North Korea.”
The DPRK’s Foreign Ministry took notice of these words and issued a statement on Monday, firmly rejecting these “foolish remarks.” Rubio’s statement was a “grave political provocation” that contravened international law, the ministry said. However, the DPRK’s leadership did not seem surprised by the verbal attack from the US Secretary of State.
“It would be much more surprising if he had said something positive about the DPRK” a statement from Pyongyang read.
At the same time, the DPRK found it “absurd and illogical” that the “most corrupted country in the world” was labeling another country a “rogue state.” This was further evidence, the statement said, that there was no change in the US’s hostile policy towards the DPRK.
“The coarse and senseless comments from Rubio only reveal the flawed view of the new US government on the DPRK and will never help to promote US interests, as he claims” the statement added.
Finally, the DPRK stated that it would not tolerate any more provocations from Washington.