Donald Trump introduces United Nations to his nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

Delivering his maiden United Nations General Assembly speech, US President Donald Trump introduced the gathered leaders to a nickname that he has been using to describe North Korean Supreme Commander Kim Jong-un.

IndiaToday.in  | Written by Dev Goswami
New Delhi, September 20, 2017 | UPDATED 01:25 IST
US President Donald Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly (Photo: AP)US President Donald Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly (Photo: AP)

It was just this weekend, days before the annual United Nations General Assembly session kicked off, that United States President Donald J Trump unveiled a dismissive nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Posting a message on his favourite communication medium Twitter, Trump said on Sunday he had had a word with South Korean Moon Jae-in and had asked him how 'Rocket Man' was doing.

Though Trump didn't expressly name Kim, that he was referring to the North Korean dictator in his tweet, which came against the backdrop of North Korea's latest nuclear test, was as clear as day.

On Tuesday, President Trump introduced world leaders gathered at the UNGA to the nickname (as well as his uninhibited style of speech) he had coined just days ago.

Trump, speaking in the usually sombre setting of a UN General Assembly session, launched into a verbal tirade, berating North Korea for its "reckless" pursuit of nuclear weapons.

"Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime," Trump said halfway into his speech before asserting that the the US may ultimately be left with no choice but to "totally destroy North Korea".

"It is time for North Korea to realize that the denuclearization is its only acceptable future," Trump also said, as he blamed the "depraved" Kim regime  "for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans, and for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more."

"But we must do much more.  It is time for all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior," Trump went on to say.

Notably, the North Korean Ambassador to the UN, Ja Song Nam, left his seat in the UNGA hall just before Trump arrived to address the session. A junior diplomat was instead sitting at the spot reserved for the North Korean delegation, making notes as Trump ripped into Pyongyang.

North Korean Ambassador to UN Ja Song Nam leaves his seat before Donald Trump's address (Photos: Reuters)

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'ROCKET MAN' 

In nicknaming Kim Jong-un, Trump has continued a tradition of coming up with memorable (if not always appropriate) monikers for his rivals. According to an ABC News report, Trump has previously called his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton, 'Crooked Hilary' and her running mate Bernie Sanders, 'Crazy Bernie'.

According to a Washington Post report, Trump has called Marco Rubio, a Republican politician, 'Little Marco' and Ted Cruz, another of Trump's Republican colleagues, 'Lyin' Ted'. The US president's most enduring nickname, however, is for journalist Chuck Todd, whom he has dubbed  'Sleepy Eyes', according to the Post report.

Compratively, Trump's 'Rocket Man' nickname for Kim Jong-un (whose official title in North Korea, just by the way, is Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army), is unimaginative.

The phrase comes from a 1972 Elton John song called 'Rocket Man'. Composed by John and his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, the song, which itself arguably has other inspirations, finds a place on the Rolling Stone magazine's '500 Greatest Songs of All Time' list.

Here's a version of the song (courtesy YouTube/EltonJohnVevo):