Earlier this year, South Korean media reported an aim of joint U.S. – Republic of Korea (ROK) military maneuvers included the decapitation of North Korea’s leader. More recently, the U.S. government designated Kim Jong Un as “having engaged in, facilitated or been responsible for an abuse or violation of human rights by the Government of North Korea or the Korea Workers’ Party”. These are only a couple of indicators that the U.S. and South Korea are now taking personal and public aim at North Korea’s leader.

From the North Korean side, rants toward individual United States leaders have been the norm, such as this year’s references to “thick-headed Hillary” or President Obama as “the worst nuclear criminal in the world”. And in this context, unsurprisingly, both sides blame the other for elevating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.