The president had harsh warnings for North Korea but also extended an olive branch.
President Donald Trump addressed South Korea’s parliament on Wednesday, but his words appeared to be more directly aimed at the Korean government to the north. In an unexpected move, Trump directly addressed North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, stating that his regime was in “great danger,” and that North Korea was going down a “dark path.”
“North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned. It is a hell that no person deserves,” said President Trump
The president also warned North Korea not to test the United States, and also lambasted the country as a “dark fantasy.” When North Korea was first established, founder Kim Jong-il promised to create a utopian society. Originally a communist nation of the mold of China and the Soviet Union, North Korea believed it would greatly outperform South Korea.
For the first several years, this dream seemed tantalizingly real. Akin to China and the Soviet Union, North Korea was able to rapidly develop numerous industries, build a strong military, and establish a world-class infrastructure through the use of a command economy. But as President Trump pointed it out, it was nothing more than a “dark fantasy.”
After an initial growth spurt, North Korea and the Soviet Union began to stagnate. Productivity declined, creativity was generally discouraged, and entrepreneurship was all but outlawed. China would maintain growth over the long haul, but only by rejecting the utopian promises of command-economy communism.
While the president lambasted North Korea as a “hell” and warned of “peril,” he also offered an olive branch:
“Despite every crime you’ve committed…we will offer you a path for a better future.”
While the president clearly has no love for North Korea, he still appears to be willing to cut a deal. While speaking with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday, President Trump urged North Korea to come to the table to discuss nuclear disarmament.
President Trump also said that while he “hoped to God” that he wouldn’t have to use the military to neutralize North Korea, he refused to rule military intervention out. Ultimately, Trump urged North Korea to:
“do the right thing, not only for North Korea but for humanity all over the world.”
President Trump has now wrapped up visits in Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, and is meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping. North Korea will almost certainly remain on the table. However, China appears to be having more difficulty reining in North Korea. At times, the rogue nation-state has lobbed threats and insults at China, marking a stark break from the past.
The president will also visit Vietnam and the Philippines.
