South Koreans ‘more worried about Trump than North Korea’, says Gareth Evans

WHEN it comes to triggering a devastating conflict, South Koreans have an even more pressing concern than their rogue neighbour.

SOUTH Koreans are more worried about Donald Trump than they are about the increasing threat presented by their rogue neighbour, according to former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans.

In an interview with ABC 7.30, Mr Evans said it was “very clear” that South Koreans found the US President more concerning — despite the fact that North Korea yesterday claimed to have successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, a paradigm-changing event and the nation’s highest ever missile test.

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“Well Kim Jong-un’s behaviour is often rather idiosyncratic, it’s also often very ugly but I don’t think anybody thinks he’s nuts,” he told 7.30.

Former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans says South Koreans are more worried about Donald Trump than North Korea. Picture: ABC

“And what’s interesting, when you go to South Korea or look at the opinion polls in South Korea, it’s very clear South Koreans are more worried about Donald Trump than they are about the North Koreans in terms of what might trigger an actual conflict in which they’d be caught up and devastated.”

US officials on Tuesday said North Korea’s ballistic missile flew longer than any North Korean missile test conducted by the rogue regime to date.

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South Korea's Hyunmu-2 Missile System fires a tactical ballistic missile. Picture: South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty

This means Kim’s dictatorship may now possess the ability to strike the US state of Alaska.

The missile flew for 37 minutes and reached a height of 2414km, leading missile experts to conclude it could have reached a target 6437km away.

President Trump mocked Kim Jong-un over Twitter after the launch, writing: “North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?”

North Korea's Kim Jong-un vowed his nation would "demonstrate its mettle to the U.S." and never put its weapons programs up for negotiations. Picture: AP

He also suggested America’s allies in the region — Japan and South Korea — will put pressure on the North Korean regime to rein in its nuclear ambitions.

“Hard to believe that South Korea..... and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!”