Trump praises North Korea for backing down on missile threat

US President Donald Trump has praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for appearing to back down on his threat to launch missiles toward the US territory of Guam.

In an early morning tweet, Trump said: "Kim Jong Un of North Korea made a very wise and well-reasoned decision.

The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!"   

Trump appeared to be referring to Kim's decision to put a hold on launching four missiles into the waters around the Pacific island of Guam, as North Korea had previously threatened.

North Korean state media reported Tuesday that Kim had reviewed a previously announced plan to fire the missiles on a trajectory over western Japan, but had decided not to go ahead with the proposal for now.

The report came after US Secretary of Defense James Mattis warned that if North Korea fired on US territory it would be "game on."

Speaking at the Pentagon on Monday, Mattis told reporters: "You don't shoot at people in this world unless you want to bear the consequences."

Source: CNN