North Korea: Kim Jong-un ‘knows if war breaks out’ with US 'he will be among FIRST killed'
KIM Jong-un “knows that if war breaks out” with the US “he is probably one of the first casualties”, a analyst and former American UN mission spokesman has claimed.
It comes as North Korea revealed it will continue to enhance its nuclear capabilities in 2018 despite pressure from international sanctions to back down.
Jonathan Wachtel said: "Kim Jong-un knows that if war breaks out, he is probably one of the first casualties.”
Citing despots Muammar Qaddafi and Iraq's Saddam Hussein as examples, Mr Wachtel added that Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapons programme was the North Korean leader “trying to survive”.
He went on: “They didn’t have nuclear deterrents… both those dictators are dead.
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“So having a nuclear deterrent is something Kim Jong-un understands in his calculus, trying to survive.”
Speaking about growing tensions in the Korean Peninsula, Mr Wachtel added: ”Russia and China really don't want war to happen... that is why we've seen some coming around in terms of Beijing and Moscow because they don't like to have a super heavily armed atomic power in North Korea."
However, East Asia expert Gordon Chang has warned the US should prepare to fight off both Kim Jong-un and North Korea’s allies China and Russia, adding that World War 3 is a possibility.
He said: "I think you need to have an honest conversation with the American people.
"That honest conversation has to take into account that we could end up in a war not only with North Korea but with its big-power sponsor China, and maybe even Russia.
"I’m not saying World War 3 is the end result but it is a possibility because the Chinese have already told us that."
The author of 'Nuclear Showdown" said Bejing had already signalled it would take Pyongyang's side in a conflict despite pledging to help defuse the tension with the rogue East Asian nation.
Mr Chang continued: "In August, Beijing signalled that if the United States struck North Korea first then it would come in on North Korea’s side.
'Donald Trump' and 'Kim Jong-un' face-off amid North Korea nuclear threat
Sun, November 19, 2017About 700 demonstrators protested in Berlin, Germany against the current escalation of threat of nuclear attack between the United States of America and North Korea
An activist pretends to punch another wearing a mask of U.S. President Donald Trump next to a model of a nuclear rocket
"We now actually got to do something because we caught the Chinese red-handed and really there’s no more room for giving them more chances."
Earlier Kim Jong-un’s state media mouthpiece KCNA announced North Korea will continue to enhance its nuclear capabilities next year in a report titled "No Force Can Prevail over Independence and Justice”.
The chilling report said: ”The DPRK, an undeniable new strategic state and nuclear power, declares: Do not expect any change in its policy.
"The DPRK, as a responsible nuclear weapons state, will lead the trend of history to the only road of independence and justice, weathering all tempests on this planet.”
