North Korea says US ‘declared war’ - the latest in escalating tensions

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho leaves his hotel in New York on September 25, 2017.
US President Donald Trump has "declared a war" on North Korea, the country's foreign minister said Monday while conveying a threat to shoot down US bombers.
"Trump claimed our leadership would not be around much longer," North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho told reporters outside his hotel in New York. "He declared a war on our country." / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

In the latest installment of the escalating verbal exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea, today North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Trump’s statements amounted to a declaration of war.

In the latest installment of the escalating verbal exchanges between the U.S. and North Korea, today North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Trump’s statements on Saturday amounted to a declaration of war.

According to Ri, Pyongyang can now respond accordingly, which includes potentially shooting down U.S. bombers, even if they aren’t in North Korean territory.

Ri is purportedly responding to Trump’s tweet from Saturday:

Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911789314169823232">September 24, 2017 " class="embed-placeholder" data-cms-ai="0" >

Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

What does this latest statement from Pyongyang mean for the U.S.-North Korea relationship?

Guest:

Sung-Yoon Lee, an expert on the Koreas, and a professor in Korean Studies at The Fletcher School at Tufts University