Aggressive talk from North Korea concerns U.S. leaders

By Ernesto Londoño and Karen DeYoung, WashPost, Updated: Friday, March 29, 8:21 PM

The latest round of threats exchanged by North Korea and the United States is dragging on longer and taking on a more virulent tone than in the past, provoking deep concerns among American officials and their allies.

Following blustery warnings by Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s 30-year-old leader, and videos depicting North Korean attacks on the United States, the Obama administration took the unprecedented step this week of sending two stealth bombers to South Korea as part of an ongoing military training exercise.

But despite the escalating tensions, U.S. officials said they have focused more closely on what North Korea is doing than on what it is saying.

“Putting on a show is not the same as taking action,” said a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the volatile situation. “Describing the situation as akin to war is not to be remotely confused with wanting a war, let alone going to war.”

(More here.)