One senior official said there had been "a trail of broken promises" from North Korea "that has given the United States pause." He said U.S. allies South Korea and Japan also were ready to shoulder much of the financial burden "if an unfortunate situation is forced upon us" by North Korea. Only a small group of international media handpicked by North Korea witnessed the demolition at the Punggye-ri site. The reference to Pence that offended the White House came in a statement released by North Korean media citing Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. Rhetoric reached new heights under Trump as he mocked Kim as "little rocket man" and threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary.

Source: The Star May 24, 2018 11:54 UTC