US Secretary of State: North Korea does not understand diplomatic language

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson affirmed on August 9 that US President Donald Trump wanted to send a strong message to North Korea when he declared that any threat from Pyongyang to Washington would face "fire and fury."

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. (Source: EPA/VNA)

Speaking to reporters before arriving at Guam, a US Pacific territory that Pyongyang has warned it will attack, Mr. Tillerson made it clear that North Korea has increased its threats following international opposition to its nuclear program and that this is not an immediate threat.

According to him, President Trump wanted to send a message to North Korea that the country should avoid miscalculations and that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not understand this diplomatic language correctly.

Mr Tillerson also downplayed any speculation that the alarming developments indicated the US was moving closer to a military option to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Earlier the same day, Reuters and Yonhap news agencies quoted the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying that North Korea affirmed that it was "carefully studying" a plan to attack Guam with missiles in response to President Trump's declaration that any threat from Pyongyang to Washington would face "fire and fury."

In response to the move, French government spokesman Christophe Castaner called on all parties to act responsibly and reduce tensions in the issue related to North Korea. This official stated that France is concerned about the current situation.

For its part, Germany has urged North Korea and the United States to exercise restraint following the threats. German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer affirmed that Berlin is closely following the tense developments on the Korean Peninsula.

He urged the international community to fully implement the latest sanctions passed by the United Nations Security Council against North Korea. The official also backed US Secretary of State Tillerson’s call to resume dialogue with North Korea if it stops ballistic missile testing.

According to him, all parties need to continue diplomatic efforts because this is the only measure that can curb the threat from North Korea's illegal nuclear weapons program.

He stressed that Germany will consult with partner countries, including the US and China, to find the right approach to address the existential risk to the region and the world posed by the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear development. He made it clear that in this case, Germany sees North Korea as the source of concern.

German Government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer also said the German Government's goal is to avoid military escalation and resolve conflicts in the North Pacific peacefully.

According to Ms. Demmer, China and Russia both have a special responsibility to persuade Pyongyang not to pursue a policy that leads to military escalation on the Korean Peninsula.

On the same day, according to Reuters news agency, China called on all parties to avoid using words and actions that could escalate tensions and make more efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue./.

According to Cafef