North Korea Nuclear Threat: Why Did Kim Jong-un Promise 'Preemptive' Strike On U.S.?

After former basketball star Dennis Rodman returned from Pyongyang saying he made a new "friend," his so-called comrade, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, announced through a spokesman that "Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear war, we will be exercising our right to pre-emptive nuclear attack against the headquarters of the aggressor in order to protect our supreme interest."

The threat was not taken lightly by Washington. Former Massachusetts Senator and freshly-appointed Secretary of State John Kerry criticized the remarks, telling CNN that the North is continuing to make "belligerent and reckless moves that threaten the region, their neighbors and now, directly, the United States." Kerry has also expressed his disapproval of Rodman's much-publicized visit to the Asian nation, saying he would rather see dialogue between the two countries coming directly from Washington.

The entire debacle has been escalating since earlier this year when UN representatives from the United States and the DPRK's biggest ally, China, were drafted. The increasingly stringent sanctions will come to a vote this morning in New York, according to the US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice.

According to TIME, in order to circumvent previous sanctions aimed at weapons transactions among other things, the Kim regime has resorted to carrying around large amounts of cash to make the illegal trades. The new sanctions will concentrate on reprimanding individuals who work with previously-sanctioned organizations as well as banning financial support by other nations for transactions that may deal with the North Korean nuclear program.

The circumstances of the new regulations have been seen by many of the member nations of the UN Security Council as a shift. China, a permanent member of the committee, is said to be not only the North's largest trading partner, but also home to the financial institutions that keep the country operating. Beijing holds veto power over any legislation is dislikes, so stronger support from Kim's northern neighbor is vital to the approval of any severe regulations.

In February, the communist country's leader first expressed their displeasure by releasing a video showing an American-esque city being destroyed by missiles to Michael Jackson's "We Are the World." Around the same time, an underground blast in the region, said to be nuclear in nature, registered nearly a five on the Richter scale.

The Sun reports that some observers are worried a successful launch of a nuclear missile from Pyongyang may endanger millions of Americans, as San Francisco and Los Angeles may be Kim's first targets. However, many say the likeliness of a rocket effectively making that long of a flight anytime soon is highly doubtful. North Korea has also said they plan to eventually nullify the armistice that ended the Korean War.