Go to contents

Trump’s advisor says N. Korea should cease to exist

Posted October. 14, 2016 07:31,   

Updated October. 14, 2016 07:43

한국어

Michael Flynn, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and current national security adviser to Donald Trump, said, “We should not let the current North Korea regime (which make repeated nuclear and missile provocations) exist for a long time.”

Flynn, who has been visiting Japan since Tuesday, said in an interview on North Korea with The Japan Times, “We should do something. (Our counterparty) is a very dangerous country that develops ballistic missiles.” It is the first time that a senior officer of the Trump Camp said the Kim Jong Un regime cannot exist. It means that the U.S. can no longer tolerate North Korea’s provocations that can threaten the U.S. as well as East Asia.

“We don’t want to have a financial transaction with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Beijing must be more responsible,” he also said, pressuring Beijing to actively participate in deterring North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

He said on Trump’s comment on a conditional withdrawal of U.S. forces, “I’m not saying that we will pull the U.S. forces out.” However, he implied that South Korea and Japan should cover more costs for stationing U.S. forces if the Republican candidate takes power. About the need for an increase in the costs, he said, “Japan and South Korea have grown into economic power houses. They are different from 70 years ago when the two countries were in war.”

Flynn is said to have met many lawmakers and contacted government officials during the Japanese visit. He reportedly said, “You need to make provocative comments to win an election. When Trump wins, he will be different. We want to build a stronger relationship with Japan.”



도쿄=장원재특파원 peacechaos@donga.com