N.K. claim that Trump declared war is 'absurd': White House

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- The White House on Monday denied North Korea's claim that U.S. President Donald Trump had declared war on the country, saying the suggestion is "absurd."

Speaking to reporters in New York earlier in the day, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said Trump clearly declared war on his country by saying in a Saturday tweet that the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, "won't be around much longer."

"We've not declared war on North Korea. And frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said during a briefing.

Ri also said Pyongyang would defend itself by shooting down American bombers even if they fly in international airspace.

"It's never appropriate for a country to shoot down another country's aircraft when it's over international waters," Sanders said. "Our goal is still the same: We continue to seek the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula -- that's our focus -- doing that through both the most maximum economic and diplomatic pressures as possible at this point."

hague@yna.co.kr
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