North Korean minister calls Trump threats ‘an act of war’

North Korea’s foreign minister on Monday called U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats “an act of war” that gives Kim Jong Un’s totalitarian regime the right to shoot down U.S. bombers in international airspace. On Saturday, U.S. warplanes flew over neutral territory at the border between North and South Korea to send a message about Trump’s willingness to take action against Kim’s ongoing provocations. “This mission is a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that the president has many military options to defeat any threat,” U.S. Defense Department spokesman Dana White said in a statement. Trump’s ongoing war of words with Kim continued Saturday when he tweeted, “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!” After threatening to shoot down U.S. planes, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters, “The question of who won’t be around much longer will be answered then.” During his own speech before the UN General Assembly last week, Trump said the United States would “totally destroy” North Korea if it launched any attack against the United States or one of its allies. After Trump’s speech, Ri said his country planned to detonate a nuclear weapon in the Pacific Ocean to prove to the world its military capabilities.