By Adam Shaw, Fox News
Top U.S. intelligence officials warned lawmakers Tuesday not to be fooled by North Korea’s diplomatic outreach at the Olympic Games, reminding Congress at a high-profile hearing that the dictatorship still represents an “existential threat” to the U.S.
The appearance of Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong at the Olympics has led to gushing coverage from some American media outlets, with stories suggesting Pyongyang’s delegation is diplomatically outflanking the U.S.
But at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, top officials and lawmakers said nothing has changed from the oppressive regime, which has been ramping up its nuclear program in recent months.
“We’ve all watched over the last week the smile campaign North Korea has inflicted on the South Korean people, the South Korean people seem to have been charmed to some degree, some of them seem to have been captivated by it,” Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said.
“From my point of view I think it’s nothing but a stall by the North Koreans to further develop what they’re trying to do and I suspect, in my judgment, we need to be very, very cautious of this,” he added.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats agreed with the assessment, and said that North Korea’s aggression was still an “existential threat” potentially to the U.S. and also to North Korea itself.
“The provocative nature and the instability Kim has demonstrated is potentially a significant threat to the United States. Decision time is coming ever close in terms of how we respond to this,” he said.
Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, described a “much more deliberate effort” in terms of readiness from Kim as opposed to his father. He also advised that “we should not be misled” by recent events in the Olympics.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo added that Kim still looks to threaten the U.S. and that there has been no change in the regime’s outlook despite the diplomatic outreach.
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