‘Leave us ALONE!’ North Korea warn Trump to BACK OFF or Kim will SMASH USA

said it would “smash” the US if it continued to interfere in the region, despot Kim Jong-un said Washington’s sabre-rattling is “driving the situation to the brink of war”. 

It comes amid an ever-tightening spiral of threat and countrer-threat from Mr Trump and Kim as Pyongyang continues to build a nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. 

The dire warning was issued in Pyongyang-based propaganda paper Rodong Sinmun, which has more than half a million copies distributed though the North Korean capital. 

The newspaper is essentially a mouthpiece for dictator Kim and its lead opinion pieces are treated as messages to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. 

An article published today, headlined ‘US is arch criminal harassing peace on Korean peninsula’, has put the West on red alert. 

It said the US is responsible for escalating tensions in the region and interfering with North Korea’s attempts to secure peace. 

The US was condemned as an “arch criminal” and “harasser of peace” – while Kim’s hermit kingdom was praised as a “responsible nuclear power”. 

The article said: “The United States is the arch criminal harassing peace as it has spawned political confusion, conflict and bloodshed by sowing discord and antagonism among other countries and regions.

“The US is the harasser of peace as it has constantly exacerbated the situation on the Korean Peninsula through military provocations and war threat.”

The article highlighted the military drills held by the US and South Korea as largely responsible for escalating tension. 

It said: “Nuclear war drills have persisted to drive the situation to the brink of a war.

“The Korean Peninsula has turned into the biggest hotspot of the world owing to the US reckless military threat and blackmail.”

The article concluded with the usual North Korean sabre-rattling. 

It said: “The reality proves once again the truth that it is necessary to stand up with force of justice only against the imperialist aggressors keen to disturb the world peace and security and impose a nuclear disaster upon humankind.

“As a responsible nuclear power, the DPRK will resolutely smash any act of harassing peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.”

The threat comes as the vice-chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff warned North Korea’s nuclear programme has made strides in recent months. 

But Air Force General Paul Selva said Pyongyang has not yet demonstrated all the components of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), including a survivable re-entry vehicle

General Selva, referring to Kim, said: “What he has not demonstrated yet are the fusing and targeting technologies and survivable re-entry vehicle.

“It is possible he has them, so we have to place the bet that he might have them, but he hasn’t demonstrated them.” 

In November, North Korea said it had successfully tested a new type of ICBM that could reach all of the US mainland and South Korea and US-based experts said data from the test appeared to support that.