US President Donald Trump told North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un to ‘behave’ amid rising tensions between their two countries over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. AFP/AP
WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump took a moment at the White House Easter egg roll Monday to deliver a terse message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un: “Got to behave.”
Trump made the off-the-cuff comment to a CNN reporter after kicking off the 139th annual Easter egg roll with First Lady Melania Trump.
“Any message for North Korea, sir, Kim Jong-Un?”
“Got to behave,” said Trump.
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The warning came after a tense weekend during which North Korea celebrated the birthdate of the regime’s founder Kim Il-Sung with a massive military parade highlighting its growing missile capabilities.
But a missile test-launched on Sunday exploded shortly after takeoff, and a widely anticipated sixth nuclear test never materialized.
US Vice President Mike Pence was in Seoul, South Korea Monday where he warned the North not to test Trump’s resolve, adding “all options are on the table.”
Pence also declared that the era of US “strategic patience” in dealing with the North was over, after more than two decades.
US concerns have mounted amid signs of progress in Pyongyang’s efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of landing a nuclear warhead on the US mainland. CBB