US President Donald Trump says "let's see" about what North Korea does to Guam
North Korea has recalled several of its key ambassadors back to the country for a joint meeting in the capital.
The ongoing meeting reportedly includes Ambassador Ji Jae-ryong, Ambassador Ja Song-nam and Ambassador Kim Hyong-jun, North Korea's top envoys to China, the United Nations and Russia, respectively, according to Daily Mail.
"North Korea seems to be hosting what appears to be a meeting of foreign diplomatic missions' chiefs after calling its ambassadors to major countries back to Pyongyang," a government official told Yonhap News Agency.
It is not known how many ambassadors are involved in the meeting.
The Ministry of Unification's spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said in a press briefing that the meeting may be part of North Korea's regular gathering of ambassadors.
"North Korea held the 43rd ambassadors' meeting in July 2015 and (the latest meeting) seems to be in line with that," said the spokesman.
However, there are rumors the meeting may be linked with the country's purported preparations for further military provocations, such as nuclear test or more missile launches.
This week, US President Donald Trump vowed that North Korea would be met with 'fire and fury' if leader Kim Jung-Un followed through on a threat to execute a missile strike on nearby Guam, a US territory with an American military base.
Despite calls for Trump to tone down the rhetoric and end the back-and-forth with Kim, the president continued to make his point, saying Friday that the US military is "locked and loaded".
Tensions have been rising between North Korea and the United States. Photo/Getty
However, CIA director Mike Pompeo assured there was "nothing imminent" in the US standoff with nuclear-armed North Korea.
"There's nothing imminent. There's no intelligence indicating we're on the cusp of a nuclear war," he told Fox News Sunday.
"But make no mistake about it...the increased chance that there will be a nuclear missile in Denver is a very serious threat."
Pompeo said the US intelligence community has "a pretty good idea" about what's going on in North Korea.
He also dismissed talk from those who suggested the White House was surprised by a news report that North Korea now has a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be put on an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit the US.
"It doesn't surprise me that those who came before us were surprised; they did nothing," he said.
He added that he was confident North Korea would continue to develop its missile capabilities under Kim Jong-Un.
Additionally, National Security Adviser HR McMaster said Sunday that the US is "taking all possible actions" to resolve the nuclear threat from North Korea without resorting to military action.
When asked on ABC's This Week to clarify if threats alone would provoke a military response from the US, McMaster replied that it "depends on the nature of the threat."
General Joseph Dunford, left, talks with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, right. Photo/AP
Meanwhile, General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is set to meet meet with South Korea's president on Monday.
Dunford and President Moon Jae-in will reportedly discuss the threat from the North and South Korea's longstanding alliance with the US.
Moon, who took office on May 10, has found himself largely sidelined as the White House and Pyongyang traded threats, raising fears of possible military conflict as the divided peninsula faces its worst crisis in years.
But North Korea isn't the only nation the US is currently at odds with.
President Trump is allegedly planning to launch an investigation of whether China is stealing US technology.
The China Daily, a state newspaper, warned Monday that Trump "could trigger a trade war" and "intensify tensions" if he goes ahead with the investigation.
