New American defence chief Jim ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis warns North Korea of ‘overwhelming’ retaliation strikes if Kim dares to launch nukes
THE new US Defence Secretary warned crackpot Kim Jong-Un he faces an "overwhelming" response if North Korea uses nuclear weapons.
Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis sent a no-holds-barred threat to the dictator on a visit to neighbouring South Korea.
He warned: "Any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated.
"And any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming.";
Mattis was responding to fears North Korea is close to developing a ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Related stories
The hi-tech missiles - with a range of more than 6,000 miles - are thought to be capable of striking targets in America.
Kim's secretive regime has carried out underground nuclear tests for more than a decade but was previously thought to be unable to fit its bombs to accurate rockets.
Firing another warning, Mattis added: "North Korea continues to launch missiles, develop its nuclear weapons program and engage in threatening rhetoric and behaviour."
Mattis met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today - another ally strongly opposed to Kim's regime.
Donald Trump vowed to stop the North Koreans building a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the US last month.
The new president tweeted: "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US It won’t happen!”
And newly-appointed Mattis similarly called the communist state's weapons programme "a serious threat" and vowed to "do something about it".
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368