The war with North Korea would be catastrophic, says Defense Secretary James Mattis in his first TV interview. The man leading the United States military is concerned about what dispute would look like with North Korea.
The tension between Pyongyang and Washington started last month due to North's immediately advancing missile and nuclear testings, urging the United States to move a Navy strike group into the West Pacific near the Korean Peninsula. North Korea was reportedly accused of the plan as an action of attack to threaten the U.S.
President Donald Trump also told Reuters last month that "major, major conflict" between North Korea and the United States is possible, although he wants a diplomatic solution, such a path is said to be "very difficult."
Meanwhile, Mattis have already commented prior to the launch of North Korea's ballistic missile on the east coast, which landed on Japan's maritime economic zone. Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said in a statement that the launch seems to appear around Eastern North Korean coastal town of Wonsan.
The agency further added that North Korea likely fired a Scud-type ballistic missile that traveled approximately 280 miles. Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, said that there is no reported damage to vessels or planes in the area.
Mattis, a lifelong military man, said in his comments on Sunday that the empire of Kim is a direct threat to the United States, as well as China, Russia, and South Korea. The government of North Korea has several rocket launchers and artillery cannons within the range of the capital of South Korea.
Mattis is concerned about the regular reports of North Korea's nuclear testing as he thinks that the arsenal abilities of the country become better with every test. But Mattis chose to keep silent whether North Korea will push a bloody conflict because they may know something that North Korea doesn't know.
Earlier in this year, North Korea warned that they are willing to "pursue a nuclear and all-out war" if the United States continues to strike or will strike first. Mattis is more concerned about war with North Korea rather than a war against ISIS.
With ISIS, according to Mattis, the U.S. had changed from "attrition tactics" - forcing terrorists out of territories they control - to "annihilation tactics." Just this year, U.S. reportedly dropped the massive nonnuclear bomb, destroying the hideout of ISIS in eastern Afghanistan.