Kim Jong Un’s white horse mountain trek may signal dire acts

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rode a white horse up a sacred mountain in his second symbolic visit in less than two months, state media reported Wednesday, as his military chief lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump for talking about a possible military option against the North.

Mount Paektu and white horses are symbols associated with the Kim family’s dynastic rule. Kim has made previous visits there before making major decisions.

The comments by his military chief are the latest sign that prospects for a resumption of nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S. are unclear. North Korea has threatened more provocation if the United States fails to meet a year-end deadline set by Kim for it to make a proposal to salvage the negotiations.

On Wednesday night, Pak Jong Chon, chief of the General Staff of the (North) Korean People’s Army, issued a statement berating Trump for suggesting that the U.S. could use military force against North Korea if diplomacy fails and warned that any attack would cause a “horrible” consequence for the Americans.

“One thing I would like to make clear is that the use of armed forces is not the privilege of the U.S. only,” Park said.

He said Kim was also “displeased to hear” about Trump’s comments.

Speaking in London where he was attending a NATO summit, Trump on Tuesday said his relationship with Kim was “really good” but also called for him to follow up on a commitment to denuclearize. Trump added, “We have the most powerful military we ever had, and we are by far the most powerful country in the world and hopefully we don’t have to use it. But if we do, we will use it.”

Trump has previously threatened to bring down “fire and fury” on North Korea and derided Kim as “little rocket man” when he carried out a series of weapons tests in 2017 aimed at building nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the mainland U.S. But his comment Tuesday on the possible use of military force enraged North Korea because he hasn’t recently used such threats and instead has bestowed Kim with praise. In September last year, Trump called Kim “very open“and “terrific.”

In London, Trump also said Kim “likes sending rockets up, doesn’t he?” He added that “That’s why I call him rocket man.”

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, ride white horses on a visit to Mount Paektu.