By Michael Madden

NORTH KOREA EXPERT

ARE we witnessing the outbreak of the next world war? Is the UK at risk? Well, not quite . . . yet. At this stage it’s only talk. The timing of President Trump’s comments and the North Korean’s statement was dreadful, but largely coincidental.

The statement from North Korea wasn’t a response to Trump’s remarks but a retort to the US testing an intercontinental ballistic missile much earlier this month.

Interestingly, North Korea has been threatening to launch a missile at Guam since 2001.

So that threat is nothing new.

The current spat centres on comments from President Trump and Kim Jong Un.

But this isn’t two fighters trash-talking before a boxing match but empty rhetoric.

The US still has routine military exercises with South Korea and Japan planned for later this month and there are no signs of added troop or equipment deployments.

Meanwhile, recent satellite images and intelligence show North Korea’s armed forces aren’t being mobilised but are participating in annual crop harvests at collective farms or working on construction projects.

It should also be pointed out that President Trump has yet to coordinate with other world leaders.

Any military conflict or pre-emptive strike against North Korea would require the support of the UK and it doesn’t seem Trump has so far reached out to his friend Theresa May.

There is nothing to suggest a conflict – let alone a pre-emptive attack – is imminent against North Korea.

This might just be the case of business as usual and signals the continuation of the West’s policies of containment with North Korea.

The UK has a vital role to play in helping reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the US would be wise to rely on its closest ally going forward.