Washington, July 11: People in the United States think North Korea represents a bigger menace to their country than many other nations, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 38 per cent of respondents cite North Korea as the biggest threat to U.S. national security.
China is second with 18 per cent, followed by Iran with 17 per cent, Pakistan with eight per cent, Afghanistan and Russia with three per cent each, and Iraq with two per cent.
Kim Jong-il has been the de-facto leader of North Korea since the death of his father, Kim Il Song, in 1994. North Korea was branded as part of an “axis of evil” by then U.S. president George W. Bush in January 2002. In February 2005, the government of North Korea admitted publicly for the first time that it possesses nuclear weapons.
In July 2006, North Korea launched seven missiles—including the Taepodong-2—which landed in the Sea of Japan close to Russian coastal areas. In October 2006, the country announced it had successfully carried out a test detonation of a nuclear weapon.
On Apr. 5, 2009, North Korea launched its long-range rocket, claiming it was used to place a satellite into orbit which is broadcasting “immortal revolutionary songs” and anthems praising Kim. On that same day, U.S. president Barack Obama declared: “North Korea broke the rules once again by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles. This provocation underscores the need for action.”
On Jun. 25, Pak Pyong Jong, first vice chairman of the Pyongyang City People’s Committee, told a crowd of hundreds of thousands that North Korea’s “armed forces will deal an annihilating blow that is unpredictable and unavoidable, to any sanctions or provocations by the U.S.,” implying that this retaliation would include the use of nuclear weapons.
–Agencies