Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday called North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un a “fool who plays with dangerous toys”, and said any mistake by Pyongyang would leave the Far East an “arid land”. Duterte’s comments come days before an Association of South East Nations meet in the Philippines, which North Korea is due to attend.
Among other less than flattering descriptions, Duterte called Kim a “that chubby face that looks kind”, who was poised to accidentally destroy peace in the region. “It must be stopped, this nuclear war.”
North Korea’s nuclear programme has been causing serious global concern, especially because it continues to threaten the United States. On Wednesday, the US launched an unarmed Minuteman III inter-continental ballistic missile from its North Vandenberg air base in California. The US Air Force said the launch “demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear enterprise is safe, secure, effective and ready to be able to deter, detect and defend against attacks on the United States and its allies.”
On July 29, North Korea had confirmed the launch of a ballistic missile, saying it was a stern warning for the US. Experts had said the weapon was capable of hitting Los Angeles and other US cities.
Duterte has in the past used colourful language to insult several other international leaders, including Barack Obama and the Pope. His comments about Obama’s mother led the former US President to cancel a trip to the Philippines.
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