US President Donald Trump's reaction to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's sixth nuclear test on Sunday stood out - not for its condemnation but for its twisted approach. Trump took to Twitter to say the DPRK "is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success". In his second tweet, he said the Republic of Korea "is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with" the DPRK "will not work, they only understand one thing".

He then called an emergency meeting of his national security advisers and had his second telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But he did not talk to ROK President Moon Jaein, accusing the ROK of "appeasement".

Condemning the DPRK for its nuclear and missile adventure is justified, but Trump is not helping the situation by criticizing the ROK and China. And China has not succeeded in its efforts, because the US has never heeded its advice on how to resolve the DPRK issue.