Kim Jong-Un holds off over his threat to attack Guam but vows to 'wring the windpipes of the Yankees' if the US persists in its 'extremely dangerous reckless action'

  • North Korea offers glimpse into plans to fire missiles near US territory of Guam
  • Leader is seen with baton pointing at 'Strategic Force's Firing Strike Plan' map
  • Kim Jong Un has backed down on his threat to launch four missiles at Guam
  • But he'd consider any attack on US a 'delightful historic moment,' report says

Kim Jong-Un today made his first public appearance in two weeks in front of a satellite image of Guam as he backed down on North Korea's chilling missile threat.

But the leader, who was pictured in Pyongyang, vowed to 'wring the windpipes of the Yankees' if the US persists in its 'extremely dangerous reckless actions'. 

The country offered a glimpse into plans to fire missiles near Guam as its leader was seen with a baton pointing at a map saying 'Strategic Force's Firing Strike Plan'. 

Kim, who was pictured next to satellite imagery of Guam's Andersen Air Force Base, has backed down on his threat to launch four missiles at the US Pacific territory.

Instead, the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK) said that he would wait and watch the US's actions, the official KCNA news agency said. 

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A still image released today shows the North Korean leader Kim having a briefing in Pyongyang with the satellite imagery of Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base pictured on his left side

A still image released today shows the North Korean leader Kim having a briefing in Pyongyang with the satellite imagery of Guam's Andersen Air Force Base pictured on his left side

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un today made his first public appearance in two weeks in Pyongyang

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un today made his first public appearance in two weeks in Pyongyang

'He said that if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of the DPRK, the latter will make an important decision as it already declared,' the report claimed.

The report added that the launch could occur at any time and Kim thought that it would be a 'most delightful historic moment' and would 'wring the windpipes of the Yankees and point daggers at their necks'. 

The map pictured today showed a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea's east coast, then flying over Japan and ending near Guam, as Pyongyang announced last week.

The launch location seen in the map appeared to be in the vicinity of Sinpo, the east coastal city that hosts North Korea's submarine base, said Kim Dong-Yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

Kim Dong-Yub said the location near Sinpo fits with what North Korea outlined last week - that four intermediate-range missiles will cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan, fly 2,085.8 miles for 1,065 seconds and hit the waters 18 to 25 miles from Guam.

'Every North Korean must have seen this photo on TV and newspapers. North Korea is showing its confidence, telling the United States: if they want to stop it they can try,' he said. 

Kim was seen with a baton pointing at a map saying 'Strategic Force's Firing Strike Plan'

Kim was seen with a baton pointing at a map saying 'Strategic Force's Firing Strike Plan'

The map showed a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea's east coast

The map showed a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea's east coast

'It also signals that the North has been studying this for a long time and getting ready to act if it decided to.'

Tension on the Korean peninsula has risen over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, with North Korea and the US exchanging a flurry of strong rhetoric, each threatening military action, in recent days.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned yesterday that the US military would be prepared to intercept a missile fired by North Korea if it was headed to Guam, while the North's leader Kim Jong-Un alerted his army that it should always be fire-ready.

In 2013 when tensions ran high as North Korea threatened missile strikes on US Pacific bases, including Guam and Hawaii, it also released photographs of Kim inside his military command centre signing the order to put rockets on standby to attack the US mainland.

The map showed the missile flying over Japan and ending near the US Pacific territory of Guam

The map showed the missile flying over Japan and ending near the US Pacific territory of Guam

Kim is applauded at a performance in Pyongyang, in an image released from a video yesterday

Kim is applauded at a performance in Pyongyang, in an image released from a video yesterday

The pictures then showed a large chart titled 'U.S. mainland strike plan' and it was seen targeting U.S. regions such as Hawaii, Washington D.C., and Texas.

North Korea has never carried out its threats to hit U.S. Pacific bases or mainland.

For the Guam briefing, Kim was seen acting as a commander in chief flanked by other army generals.

Among the generals was Kim Jong Sik, a veteran rocket scientist and one of the masterminds behind North Korea's missile programme.

The briefing took place in a war room where other maps of operational zones in South Korea and Japan were hanging on a wall right behind the North's leader. 

Kim received the briefing yesterday when he inspected the command of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Strategic Force, the North's Korea Central News Agency said today.

Kim claps with military officers at the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army

Kim claps with military officers at the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army

A woman walks by a TV screen at Seoul train station in South Korea showing a local news show reporting about North Korean military's plans to launch missiles into waters near Guam

A woman walks by a TV screen at Seoul train station in South Korea showing a local news show reporting about North Korean military's plans to launch missiles into waters near Guam

He was welcomed by scores of soldiers at the army command, showed photos released separately by state-owned Korean Central Television as well as its official Rodong Sinmun newspaper.

Kim, who praised the army for drawing up a 'close and careful plan', said he will watch the actions of the US for a while longer before making a decision on whether to go ahead with missile launches toward Guam, the report said.

 

Kim claims that his Hwasong-14 missiles can reach the US. It's certainly believed they could reach Guam, which houses a US base and more than 160,000 resident civilians

Kim claims that his Hwasong-14 missiles can reach the US. It's certainly believed they could reach Guam, which houses a US base and more than 160,000 resident civilians

Kim was seen yesterday inspecting the the command of the North's army in what was his first appearance in public for two weeks.

That came after speculation that he might be plotting another missile test, since they have usually occurred after he has stepped out of the public eye for a time. 

Concerns had also been raised after North Korea withdrew its ambassadors from China, Russia and the US. 

The announcement that the country was backing off from war came after a week of heightened tensions that saw Donald Trump promising that the US military was 'locked and loaded' in case North Korea acted unwisely.

Kim Jong Un backed off on threats to bomb the US Pacific territory of Guam on Monday,
Just hours later, South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right, with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford) said he would avoid war at all costs

Kim Jong-Un (left) backed off on threats to bomb the US Pacific territory of Guam on Monday, just hours before South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right, with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford) said he would avoid war at all costs

And today, South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed to prevent war by all means and said there would be no military action without Seoul's consent.

'Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea,' he said.

'The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means.'  

He made the remarks in a speech to commemorate Liberation Day, which marks the nation casting off Japanese military rule in 1945.

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford was photographed with Jae-in during the event.

Tensions had risen after Donald Trump promised 'fire and fury' if North Korea stepped out of line. The US and South Korea are planning war exercises next week that could provoke Kim

Tensions had risen after Donald Trump promised 'fire and fury' if North Korea stepped out of line. The US and South Korea are planning war exercises next week that could provoke Kim

Separately, South Korean experts also warned yesterday that the North is making 'quick advances' in miniaturising nuclear warheads to fit on top of its missiles.

Seoul also believes that Kim is just 12 months away from developing technology to shield the warheads as they crash back to earth, which is he final hurdle in creating a nuke capable of ranging the majority of the US.  

In the meantime Kim is likely to continue his provocative nuclear tests, said South Korea's vice defence minister, Suh Choo-suk.

While Kim has taken his finger off the launch button for now, Liberation Day will be followed next week by joint US-South Korean military drills that are sure to anger Pyongyang.

The reasons for North Korea's change of attitude is unknown, but it emerged on Monday that China had placed a ban on a number of North Korean products in line with the new UN ban.

A view of US military planes parked on the tarmac of Andersen Air Force base on the island of Guam. The US has warned that an attack on the island would be a declaration of war

A view of US military planes parked on the tarmac of Andersen Air Force base on the island of Guam. The US has warned that an attack on the island would be a declaration of war

The country is not just North Korea's only ally, but also its main trading partner, comprising 90 per cent of all North Korean exports.

However, it has now put a block on the purchase of coal, iron, lead and sea food from North Korea. 

It has also repeatedly urged Pyongyang to halt its weapons program as well as telling South Korea and the US to stop military drills to lower tensions.

State-run newspaper Global Times said today that Seoul should act as a buffer between the United States and North Korea to prevent a head-on confrontation - especially around next week's drill.

'The drill will definitely provoke Pyongyang more, and Pyongyang is expected to make a more radical response,' the paper said in an editorial. 

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (left) meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last week. China has now implemented a ban on North Korean goods, per a new UN resolution

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (left) meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last week. China has now implemented a ban on North Korean goods, per a new UN resolution

'If South Korea really wants no war on the Korean Peninsula, it should try to stop this military exercise.'

The US is currently engaged in other military exercises with Japan's Ground Self Defense Force, named Northern Viper 17, at the Hokudaien exercise area in Eniwa, on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke to Mr Trump today in which they agreed that their top priority regarding North Korea was to do what they could to halt missile launches by the regime.

Abe said he was pleased that Trump reaffirmed America's commitment to stand with its allies in the region to counter threats from North Korea.

Japan, which would be under the flight path of any missile fired towards Guam, will be seeking further reassurance from Washington in meetings between Japan's defence chief and foreign minister and their US counterparts on Thursday.

Guam's governor, Eddie Calvo, said he was pleased by Donald Trump's strong rhetoric earlier in the week, calling Kim a 'bully' who needed a 'punch in the nose'

Guam's governor, Eddie Calvo, said he was pleased by Donald Trump's strong rhetoric earlier in the week, calling Kim a 'bully' who needed a 'punch in the nose'

'The strategic environment is becoming harsher and we need to discuss how we will respond to that,' a Japanese foreign ministry official said in a briefing in Tokyo.

'We will look for the US to reaffirm its defence commitment, including the nuclear deterrent. 

The US and South Korea remain technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

US officials have in recent days played down the risk of an imminent conflict while stressing their preparedness to respond militarily to any attack from North Korea.

Mr Mattis said yesterday the US military would know the trajectory of a missile fired from North Korea within moments and would 'take it out' if it looked like it would hit the US Pacific territory.

There is concern that exercises planned between US and South Korean forces next week may provoke Kim into issuing more threats (pictured: US and Japanese troops training on Monday)

There is concern that exercises planned between US and South Korean forces next week may provoke Kim into issuing more threats (pictured: US and Japanese troops training on Monday)

'The bottom line is, we will defend the country from an attack; for us [US military] that is war,' Mr Mattis said. 

Mattis promised on Monday that the US would be able to work out the trajectory of any missile fired by North Korea and 'take it out' if it was heading towards Guam

Mattis promised on Monday that the US would be able to work out the trajectory of any missile fired by North Korea and 'take it out' if it was heading towards Guam

That kind of rhetoric fit the tone of Guam Governor Eddie Calvo, who said yesterday that he was grateful Mr Trump was taking a strong stance against the threats towards Guam.

'Everyone who grew up in the schoolyard in elementary school, we understand a bully,' Mr Calvo said yesterday.

'Kim Jong-Un is a bully with some very strong weapons... a bully has to be countered very strongly.'

He added that 'sometimes a bully can only be stopped with a punch in the nose'.

Mr Calvo also backed Mr Trump against what he said were unfair comparisons with Kim.

'Well there's only one guy that has vaporised into a red mist his uncle or a general because he fell asleep in a meeting with an anti-aircraft gun - that's Kim Jong-Un,' he said.

The US is currently joining the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (vehicles from both pictured on Monday) for exercises on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido

The US is currently joining the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (vehicles from both pictured on Monday) for exercises on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido

'There's only one guy that's killed his brother with one of the most toxic nerve agents ever created, that's Kim Jong-Un.'

Speaking Tuesday afternoon (local time), representatives of Guam's government said  in a press conference they felt relief at Kim's remarks - although they admitted that they only had North Korean propaganda to rely on for the claims.

However, Kim Dong-yub, a professor and a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul urged caution in assuming North Korea was bluffing with its missile threats.

'There is no stepping back for North Korea,' the professor said. 'Those who don't know the North very well fall into this trap every time (thinking they are easing threats) but we've seen this before.'

Asian stock markets, which struggled in the uncertainty surrounding North Korea, rebounded on Monday as Kim backed off. Pictured: A man at the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Asian stock markets, which struggled in the uncertainty surrounding North Korea, rebounded on Monday as Kim backed off. Pictured: A man at the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Asian shares rose for a second day on Tuesday and the dollar firmed after Kim's comments further eased tensions and prompted investors to move back into riskier assets.

It also emerged yesterday that North Korea's rapid development of intercontinental ballistic missiles - which caught US intelligence off-guard - are due to them being based on Soviet-era technology.

According to Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the missiles used in recent North Korean tests were based on the RD-250 engine once made at a plant in what is now an independent Ukraine.

These could have been bought from corrupt workers at arsenals in what are now the rival states of Russia and Ukraine and smuggled to North Korea by criminal networks. 

That could have taken place at some point between the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Ukraine's current crisis, experts said.