The Korea Times: Trump Warns of “Fire and Fury”; North Korea Threatens to Strike Guam

The leaders of North Korea and the United States are exchanging threats, and the rest of the world hopes the war of words does not escalate into what is being called “preventive war” or preemptive strikes. “Preventive strikes are carried out to remove the enemy's strategic facilities in advance to prevent an attack,” explains Jun Ji-hye for the Korea Times. “This is a different concept from pre-emptive strikes that are conducted when there is a clear sign of an enemy attack.” North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests, with leaders repeatedly suggesting the target is the United States, but long-range accuracy is untested. The UN Security Council imposed more sanctions on the nation, and soon afterward the US president announced, “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.” North Korean officials countered with detailed threats to fire missiles topped with nuclear warheads near US military bases on the island territory of Guam, population 163,000, as well as South Korea. South Korea has few good options: North Korea, angry and poor, marginalizes its neighbor, the world’s 11th largest economy, by trying to negotiate directly with China and the United States. North Korea should understand that any attack against the United States or an ally would be devastating for both the region and suicidal. – YaleGlobal