North Korea has refused to end their nuclear programme, but have come to the negotiating table to speak with South Korea ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Fears have been raised that the rogue state could be using the Pyeongchang games to buy time to put more time and cash into its nuclear development.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, East Asia expert Gordon Chang has warned that Kim Jong-un believes the US is “no obstacle”, ramping up World War 3 fears.
He said: “I don’t think that North Korea would ever want to attack the US, mainly because they know that missiles have a return address, in other words, we know where they come from.
“And the United States would completely obliterate North Korea.
“The regime doesn’t want that, but what it is counting on is that the United States does not have political will.
“You have got to remember that although we think the US military is fearsome, the North Koreans don’t look at it that way.
“They say yes, of course, the US has more ships or planes and has a more capable military but they believe that the US political system is incapable. And by the way, the Chinese view us this way as well.”
Mr Chang added, from his conversation with Express.co.uk back in November, that North Korea do not regard the United States a threat as he revealed Kim Jong-un’s plans.
He said: “The Kim regime has reached out and killed Americans and there has been no American response.
“Clearly they have taken that to heart. So I am concerned that Kim Jong-un thinks that he holds the upper hand. Indeed he has been talking about ‘final victory’ more frequently, and that is North Korean code for taking over the south.
“So apparently he doesn’t think that we are much of an obstacle in his way.”
North Korean athletes are expected to walk out with South Korea with a unified Korean flag.
But, despite the recent diplomatic talks between the countries, Secretary Tillerson said the threat of a war with North Korea is now growing.
He said: “With respect to whether Americans should be concerned about a war with North Korea, I think we all need to be very sober and clear-eyed about the current situation.
“We have to recognise that the threat is growing.”
President Donald Trump said that he was open to holding talks with North Korea at the “appropriate time” and under the right “circumstances”.
Mr Trump was praised by the South Korean President for playing a key role in the start of diplomatic talks for the first time since 2015.
The talks came after both Mr Trump and Kim Jong sent warnings to each other in their New Year’s address boasting about the size of their “nuclear button’s” which sit on both of their “desks”.