--- title: North Korea: Donald Trump Isn't First User of "Rocket Man" description: It turns out that name isn't so original for a North Korean leader. canonical: https://time.com/4948559/donald-trump-rocket-man/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-19T20:05:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:10.755Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Isn't the First To Call a North Korean Leader "Rocket Man." og:description: The Economist beat him to it og:url: https://time.com/4948559/donald-trump-rocket-man/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt584981fc33557b5e/6988de680a4a22135f9cff6b/20060708issuecovfe400_0.jpg?branch=production&width=400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 400 og:image:height: 225 og:image:alt: 20060708issuecovFE400_0 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Isn't the First To Call a North Korean Leader "Rocket Man." twitter:description: The Economist beat him to it twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt584981fc33557b5e/6988de680a4a22135f9cff6b/20060708issuecovfe400_0.jpg?branch=production&width=400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 00:36 video:published: 2017-09-19 section: world topics: North Korea, nuclear threat, United Nations, U.S. foreign policy, military deterrence, international sanctions, Kim regime, diplomatic isolation genre: speech, news tones: threatening, firm, confrontational emotions: anger (medium), defiance (high), resolve (high) sentiment: negative audience: global policy observers, news readers, diplomats, general public people: Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un organizations: United Nations, United States content_suitability: war [00:00-00:36]; politics [00:00-00:36] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Donald Trump Isn't the First to Call a North Korean Leader 'Rocket Man' > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=bc8e1324-24ad-4bc2-877c-2b4f0280bb7f&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Threatens to 'Totally Destroy' North Korea in U.N. Speech [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Threatens to 'Totally Destroy' North Korea in U.N. Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/I4DNTm1m.m3u8) (0:36)  _Published 2017-09-19. President Trump threatened North Korea with total destruction in his first speech to the United Nations, but said that the international body could still prevent war_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary President Trump addresses the United Nations and warns that the United States will totally destroy North Korea if it is forced to defend itself or its allies. He calls the North Korean leader's behavior a suicide mission for himself and his regime, while stating the U.S. is ready but hopes military action will not be necessary. He closes by calling on all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior. ## Key points - The United States has great strength and patience but will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea if forced to defend itself or its allies. (00:00) - The speaker says the North Korean leader, referred to as Rocketman, is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime. (00:14) - The United States is described as ready, willing and able to act militarily. (00:18) - The speaker states that he hopes military action will not be necessary. (00:23) - The speaker calls on all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime. (00:28) - The isolation effort is to continue until the Kim regime ceases its hostile behavior. (00:31) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:14] Warning of total destruction. The speaker says the U.S. will totally destroy North Korea if forced to defend itself or its allies. - [00:14 to 00:23] Remarks on North Korean leader. The speaker says Rocketman is on a suicide mission and that the U.S. is ready, willing and able to act. - [00:23 to 00:36] Call for international isolation. The speaker hopes military action will be unnecessary and urges all nations to isolate the Kim regime. ## Key quotes - [00:00] President Trump: "we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." - [00:14] President Trump: "Rocketman is on a suicide mission for himself, and for his regime." - [00:18] President Trump: "The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary." - [00:28] President Trump: "It is time for all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior." ## Questions this video answers - What does the United States threaten to do to North Korea if it must defend itself or its allies? [00:00] - How does the speaker describe the North Korean leader's situation? [00:14] - Is the United States prepared to act militarily against North Korea? [00:18] - What does the speaker call on other nations to do regarding the Kim regime? [00:28] ## Content suitability - war [00:00-00:36]: Threat of total military destruction of North Korea and readiness for military action. - politics [00:00-00:36]: Political speech at the United Nations on foreign policy toward North Korea.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Sep 19, 2017 8:05 PM UTC  The Economist  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Sep 19, 2017 8:05 PM UTC President Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as “Rocket Man” in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday. Speaking for the first time at the United Nations, Trump said the 33-year-old leader’s [recent missile tests](http://time.com/4947942/trump-totally-destroy-threatens-north-korea-un-speech-transcript/) and other aggressive behavior could lead to the U.S. to [“totally destroy”](http://time.com/4947942/trump-totally-destroy-threatens-north-korea-un-speech-transcript/) the country down the road. “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime,” he said in his first address to the General Assembly. “The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. Trump [coined his latest nickname](http://time.com/4945254/trump-north-korea-kim-jong-un-rocket-man/) over the weekend in a tweet. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/909384837018112000) But he’s not the first to use the epithet for a North Korean leader. In fact, Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il was given the nickname on a July 8, 2006, cover of The Economist, a British business news magazine. The [title](http://www.economist.com/node/21520925) of the cover? “Rocket man.” Kim Jong-il died in 2011, and was succeeded by Kim Jong Un. But he too had a preoccupation with developing nuclear weapons; it was under his leadership that North Korea left the United Nations’ Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2003 and began operating nuclear weapon facilities, ultimately testing seven ballistic missiles, according to a chronology [provided by the Arms Control Association. ](https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/dprkchron) A representative from the _Economist_ did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ## Transcript [00:00] The United States has great strength and patience. But [00:04] if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have [00:08] no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. [00:14] Rocketman is on a suicide mission for himself, and [00:18] for his regime. The United States is ready, willing [00:23] and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. 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