‘Trump declared war on North Korea’, says Foreign Minister
Ri Yong-ho insisted all options are on the table for Pyongyang and that his nation now reserves the right to shoot down US planes even if they are not in Korea's air space.
The official, talking to reporters in New York, said: 'The whole world should clearly remember it was the US who first declared war on our country.
'Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country.'
The remarks from the rogue state's Foreign Minister is in reaction to comments made by the President of the US in which he questioned how long the North Korean leadership would be in power.
'Trump claimed our leadership would not be around much longer,' Ri said, threatening to shoot down American aircraft from international airspace.
'The question of who will be around much longer will be answered then,' he added.
Ri, who made the comments before leaving New York where he had attended last week's UN General Assembly, made the statement then returned from his car to the press microphones to add: 'In light of the declaration of war by Trump, all options will be on the operations table of the supreme leadership of the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea).'
His words echoed warnings from the Trump administration that all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile development and its threats to have a weapon capable of reaching the continental United States.
And this afternoon the Pentagon gave reassurance to Donald Trump to say he will be provided with options to deal with Pyongyang if North Korea does not stop with its 'provocative actions'.
On Saturday, Ri told the UN General Assembly that targeting the US mainland with its rockets was inevitable after 'Mr Evil President' Trump called Pyongyang's leader a 'rocket man' on a suicide mission.
Trump tweeted: 'Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at UN.
'If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer.'
North Korea has pursued its missile and nuclear programs in defiance of international condemnation and sanctions.
US stocks fell sharply in late morning trading on Monday as news of the statements filtered through and a selloff in technology stocks accelerated.
The five tech giants - Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet - were down between 3.7 percent and 1.05 percent, weighing on the three major indexes.
Amid bitter wrangling between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US bombers and jet fighters flew off the North Korean coast on Saturday in a show of force.
In response, the dictator released a propaganda video depicting North Korean missiles blowing up US aircraft carrier and a plane in response to Donald Trump's perceived aggression.
The clip was released on Sunday by the state-run DPRK Today and shows the USS Carl Vinson going up in flames after a Pukguksong missile is launched.
Korea's video brands the American President a 'mad man' and states any attack on the country would see US forces 'head to the grave'.
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