Secretary of Defense, James “Mad Dog” Mattis, issued a warning to North Korea that any attack on the United States would lead to a retaliation that is both “effective and overwhelming.”
Mattis has reaffirmed that “North Korea continues to launch missiles, develop a nuclear weapons program and engage in threatening rhetoric and behavior.” This provocative behavior has kept North Korea on Mattis’ radar. Earlier this week, reports indicated that North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facility has restarted its plutonium reactor, which could indicate an attempt to generate fuel for nuclear weapons.
Earlier this year, Trump tweeted:
North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won’t happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2017
The defense secretary reflects: “I need to get some data from them, I need to get their appreciation of the situation before I start making statements about where I stand, […] It’s hard to anticipate what they do,” Mattis said.
Mattis met with acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn in Seoul and reiterated the strength of the US-South Korean alliance. “I talked to President Trump and he wanted to make a very clear statement about the priority that we place on this alliance between our two nations.” US defense chief said. During his election, President Trump criticized America’s contribution to South Korea for defense, saying they needed to pay more for military protection. Mattis does not appear to subscribe to that line of thought.