Malcolm Turnbull warns North Korea’s Kim Jong-un off ‘suicide’ attack

Malcolm Turnbull warns North Korea’s leader is ‘recklessly’ taking the region closer to a war that ‘he will lose instantly’.

An undated photo shows Kim Jong-un apparently watching a missile launch. Picture: KCNA

Malcolm Turnbull has warned that if North Korea’s despotic leader Kim Jong-un “continues down this provocative track” after launching a ballistic missile over Japan then the “risk of war gets greater all the time”.

Speaking on the Nine Network, the Prime Minister acknowledged the possibility of a conflict breaking out in light of the belligerent actions of the North Korean hermit kingdom, but warned the threat would be swiftly defeated.

Mr Turnbull also looked to Beijing to exercise greater global leadership, saying China was the key player in being able to “put the screws on North Korea” and bring Kim Jong-un into line by using its economic leverage.

“If the leader of North Korea continues down this provocative track, the risk of war gets greater all the time,” he said.

“The reality, however, is that, if he starts a war, he’ll lose it instantly. So it would, in effect, be a suicide note on his part.

“What he’s trying to do is to intimidate his neighbours, intimidate Japan, intimidate South Korea, intimidate the United States into giving him what we wants. He wants to be free of these economic sanctions.”

Mr Turnbull said the Australian government utterly condemned the “reckless and dangerous conduct” of North Korea, and that the global community was “absolutely united in our determination to bring Kim Jong-un to his senses.

“The key to doing that is for China to enforce the United Nations Security Council sanctions which they said they will do. China is his biggest economic relationship by far.

“And so they (the Chinese) have the ability to put the screws on North Korea economically that will bring that regime to it’s senses.”

Mr Turnbull said Kim Jong-un was behaving in a manner that was “dangerous, illegal, reckless (and) provocative,” rejecting any comparison between his unpredictability and that of US President Donald Trump.

Mr Turnbull said Kim Jong-un was threatening the region and the world, and had to come to his senses.

“Nobody wants conflict, and what we need is that continued economic tightening on North Korea, because ultimately that will bring that regime to its senses.”