cnn's will ripley is live for us in pyongyang, the capital city. but just to show you they had a military parade in the heart of pyongyang today, and where they were showing off their military hustle. they were celebrating there, and you can see as we look at the video there, the supreme leader kim jong-un, was shown clapping and smiling from a reviewing box there earlier. for north korea, april 15th was the day that they see -- millions celebrate the birth of their nation's founder. again, are they on the verge of testing a sixth nuclear weapon? we will get to that in a moment and get to will ripley, who has rare access there. i want to bring in our cnn commentators. good evening to all of you. david, let me ask you as we were looking at those pictures coming from north korea, this is something that this president is dealing with now, he has to deal with afghanistan, now the possibility of north korea. what happens now?

and i'm going to turn now to will ripley in pyongyang. the fact that vice president pence talked about the korean war, that brings an important kind of open sore to the front. that is the fact that there still is not an official state of peace between north korea and the u.s. in the more than 60 years since that deadly war was waged on the korean peninsula. doesn't that get to the crux of the current tensions? >> reporter: yeah, that's right. technically the two sides are still at war. they signed an armistice agreement but never a peace treaty. it was interesting to listen to the vice president of the united states talk about the history of the korean war because that war and what occurred still dominates much of the discourse here in north korea as well. but of course, this country -- and it has built entire museums with their version of the korean war, which is dramatically different from the version accepted by most outside historians, historians outside of north korea. north korea tells its citizens that the united states was the agg

that's will ripley, live from pyongyang. thank you yand your team for yor week of sleepless reporting. >> let's go to the headquarters of forces in south korea. mike pence is set to meet troops there shortly. the u.s. has some 30,000 troops in this country. is there anything more that the u.s. can do at this time to allay south korea's fears? >> well, some of the fears may be allayed by the fact that the vice president making this trip here during tense times. this was a preplanned trip, of course. but it does speak to the seriousness, with which the trump administration regards the situation right here on the peninsula and their commitment to working with allies in the region to chart a course forward. this is a third visit of a high-level trump administration official. first, you have the secretary of defense to reassure allies in the region, like south korea and japan that the alliances are strong and the u.s.'s commitment remains in place. and you have the secretary of state coming out here that says years to control the

name, please. >> ripley. ( cheers and applause ) >> i don't have that. ( laughter ) ripley what? >> ellen ripley. >> okay. ( laughter ) i've got nothing. i've got nothing in here. anything more? >> ( laughter ) ( sighs ) nothing, it's game over, game over. ( laughter ) i've got nothing. >> the woman who single-handedly saved humanity every five to eight years for the last three decades. ( cheers and applause ) >> oh, my god. oh, my god. you're sarah connor? ( laughter ) >> look, you need to help me right now. i can feel this thing about to burst out of my chest! >> ma'am, we're all having a bad day. all right? i had a burrito for lunch, and i don't want to tell you where that's about to burst out, okay. ( laughter ) i'm just going to put you into the system. let's get your medical history. go! >> all right, let's see. i spent a few years in hypersleep. got attacked by a zinamorph. went back into hypersleep f 5 years. got attacked by a bunch more zinamorphs. injured in an escape pod crash, nearly killed by zinamorphs, host organism to an alien queen, and killed myself by diving in

. >> will ripley in pyongyang, north korea. >>> let's go to seoul, south

will ripley, pyongyang, north korea. >> will, thank you. this happens as the vice president heads to south korea. let's go there now to cnn's paula hancocks there in seoul. paula, this is an annual celebration, the day response t we're seeing to -- or at least in seoul to what we saw those canisters, potentially, of icbms? >> reporter: victor, the intelligence agency here is working hard this evening and around the world, i'm sure. experts pouring over those images looking at serial numbers, looking at the size, the shape trying to figure out what the capability of north korea is. of course, the analysts are saying there are two new icbms, which they believe should be of note. they don't know if anything is inside them or whether or not it's a mock-up or whether or not it's actually functioning at this point or whether there's more work to be done on it. but it is a very clear message from north korea to south korea and to the united states saying this is what i have and this is what i can hit you with. it's a very clear message we're heari

>> paula hancocks and will ripley reporting from both south korea and north korea. we appreciate it. stay with us. back here in the u.s. the threat posed by north korea still looms over the trump white house. i want to bring in my panel now. cnn military analyst and retired l lieutenant general, cnn intelligence and security analyst and form earp cia operative, and from the world policy institute jonathan crystal. jonathan, somebody asked president trump if the massive bombing in afghanistan that will ripley referred to this week was a message to north korea. we heard will say some of the people in north korea certainly thought it was a message to them. well, this was the president of the u.s.'s answer. >> will this send a message to north korea? >> i don't know if it sends a message t. doesn't make any difference if it does or not. north korea is a problem. the problem are be taken care of. >> so, jonathan, what was your reaction when you heard that? >> i don't think it's news. dropping a bomb on a country that we have been bombing regularly going after terrorist g

>> some strong reporting from will ripley. i want to bring in a former senior adviser to ambassador christopher hill and visiting professor at georgetown university. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> i want to start by asking you about the military display we were seeing this weekend. some experts expressed surprise at how advanced north korea's military hardware appears to be. do you think that's as justified concern? >> oh, yes, of course, it is but remember this annual parade is very much a show, not just to the international world, especially this year, and those who are watching, but also to the domestic audience. it's a show of strength and force. which the regime absolutely needs to do. >> and as that parade is taking place, we know that president trump is sending a u.s. navy strike group to the pacific right off of the korean peninsula there. the north is already saying it's ready for all-out war if provoked by the united states. i guess the question to you is, is this all just rhetoric and the kind of up and

we have a little bit of time as will ripley get ready in north korea. president trump has been distancing himself from steve bannon. do you think the president should let him go? first you joe. >> yeah. how quick is that? i had a feeling. >> first of all, he should have never been there. that's my honest opinion. >> john? >> no. steve bannon's departure would be a slap in the face to many people that believe in this administration. >> a bunch of white nationalists. >> she's going to get rid of these leaks, right? but we need steve bannon there and i think his departure would be a real problem going forward. >> even if he's not expanding the base? each if he's possibly shrinking it, you think he should stay? >> here's how you expand the base. you stay out of wars and you get jobs. done. that's what he has to do. >>> i've got to run. gentlemen, thank you very much. i have to get to north korea. i appreciate it. have a great weekend. >> listen, cnn has rare live access inside north korea. possibly the world's most isolated countriment will ripley is live i

that was cnn's will ripley. today the military paraded troops and rockets and missiles through pyongyang and the leader kim jong-un. lets bring in somebody who's an expert on the region. my friend here, our australian pr prime minister, great to have you with us. first, i want to get your reaction to the video that we are seeing now of this parade of the missiles that they showed in the missile cases for this intercontinental ballistic missile. s. >> north koreans have been holding parades for a long time . it is put in a little bit of context. the casings that you see them on parade. >> you think they're mock up. >> well, there is a debate of what's real and what's a mock up. usually they are mock ups. to the extent to which they reflect substantial capabilities. yes, there are two sets of casings of new dwoms. the first appears to be the rep presentation of the marine. and demonstrating of what's called their ability to use solid fuel. that meaning if you got solid fuel, it means that they can be fired straigh

will ripley inside of north korea for us. >>> we have a lot ahead this hour. the trump administration sending mixed signals so what message does that send. also, can the united states police the world when the president is trying to police his own white house staff? the latest on those clashes ahead. also, the wells fargo council. a scathing investigation concluding this morning. it is taking the former ceo to task clawing back millions and pay a live report on that straight ahead. we asked people to write down the things they love to do most on these balloons. travel with my daughter. roller derby. ♪ now give up half of 'em. do i have to? this is a tough financial choice we could face when we retire. but, if we start saving even just 1% more of our annual income... we could keep doing all the things we love. prudential. bring your challenges. only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast, for fast pain relief. tylenol® stay with me, mr. parker. when a critical patient is far from the hospital, the hospital must come

will ripley: "we got the call before 5 am. we were told to dress up leave our phones behind. went through a couple of our security and now were here on the street. it's completely closed off. tens of thousands of people are moving in here."we saw north korean leader kim jong un making a rare public appearance in pyongyang.not a military event -- but a ribbon cutting.of a new high rise apartment complex.an attempt by the regime to show economic growth -- despite heavy sanctions over their nuclear program. will ripley: "the message from the north koreans seems to be that they want to move forward with their military programs but they also want to grow their economy peacefully. but they say, if they are provoked, they're not afraid to go to war."north korean officials tell cnn "it's a touch and go situation" that could escalate into an all out conflict.think tank 38 north says new satellite images show north korea's punggye-ri nuclear site -- "primed and ready" for north korea's 6th nuclear test.just days before north korea's most important holiday of the year -- holidays are a

cnn's will ripley was there. watch this. >> reporter: an ominous site in north korea's growing missile arsenal on full display. including what the south korean military suspects are two never before seen two intercontinental ballistic missiles. these missiles are nost likely mockups. analysts believe north korea has the real thing and may be waiting for just the right moment to put this modernized missile arsenal to the test. what should the world think when they see these ballistic missiles rolling by? is north korea a threat to the world? >> reporter: the korean people's army is ready to attack the enemies at any moment if they try to attack us, he says. despite escalating rhetoric and u.s. warships and submarines heading for the korean coast, the nation's supreme leader, kim jong-un, did not test a missile saturday. he showed off missiles that could some day release nuclear warheads. i think we've done something bigger than a nuclear test, had esays. we've shown the world something much bigger. analysts say ki

we will go inside north korea to will ripley. will, the u.s. might deem the test a failure. north korea might not see it that way. >> reporter: that's right. for one thing, the u.s. and south korean officials are saying that this missile reached an altitude of 44 miles before exploding over north korean test. u.s. officials thought it flew for 15 minutes. it goes to show the confusion that results after these launches because this is a secretive regime that doesn't announce these things ahead of time. we no that as of right now, north korea has not acknowledged this happened. if they did consider it a failure, they may never acknowledge it. keep in mind the rocket scientists in this country learn just as much from failure if not more from successful tests. they will use the knowledge they gained in the early morning hours here and try again. >> what do you think the motivation for kim jong-un might be, jamie? >> i'm sorry. yes, i didn't hear that. f for kim jong-un, this is a critical moment. president trump is increasing the temperature. he is really putting a lot of pressu

will ripley still standing by for us in pyongyang. i'm wondering what kim jong-un have to say about the air strikes on syria, their reflections on that. >> reporter: yeah, you know, as i was saying when we were speaking with officials, they really view the air strikes in syria as an example that north korea should watch. they called the syrian crisis is bloody example that north korea is paying very close attention to and again, they feel that this justifies their development of these weapons of mass destruction. their goal is to have a workable intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the u.s. most say they're not there yet, but they could be there in a matter of just a couple years at the pace they're gone. international sanctions, condemnation, cyberattacks, none of it has really been able to stop, perhaps slow a bit, but not stop this country's missile development. and in fact when they see things like the missile strike on syria, officials here say it makes them want to accelerate and move faster to get that weapon

will ripley is joining us now live from tokyo. will, you were there when north korea put on that very dramatic parade of its military arsenal. what struck you most on this trip. >> reporter: you know, i was chatting with north korean officials at that parade and looking at the missiles rolling by, mockups, obviously, in the parade but seeing more missiles on display than north korea's ever shown before. i was asking the officials don't you think this is leading your country down the path of further hardship and isolation? their response was no. they said that they genuinely believe that these weapons of mass destruction are going to bring their country a better future because they're going to force the united states and the rest of the world to sit down and talk with north korea and figure something out. they believed genuinely -- they've been told their whole lives that the united states could at any time drop a nuclear bomb of them. that's what they've been told. as much as i told them it was unlikely the united states would dro

but ultimately you're going to have to figure out a way to talk. >> will ripley. when you're there on the ground, they are showing you around, obviously they are trying to communicate messages to you, too, about where they are, does there seem to be any indication of risk assessment on the north korean part? you know what i'm saying? do they portray to you a sense of we hope this won't happen? >> there is never a dissenting voice spoken publicly and certainly not to me, a foreign publicist in pyongyang. many call it unity, others call authoritarian regime where political accidedissent is not allowed. everybody says they are behind the leader kim jong-un. i ask if they are fearful they are taken down a dangerous path, they reapply, absolutely not. even the soldier i spoke with today. they also believe they have an arsenal that can hold up to the firepower of u.s. you add on top of that a standing army of a million people and reserves and paramilitary an additional 6 million people. north koreans publicly have a lot of confidence in the situation. you don't folly to

will ripley cnn pyongyang, north korea. >> will ripley, thanks. let's go across the border to cnn chief political current dana bash is traveling with the vice president in seoul south korea. where was the vice president when he was notified of that failed missile launch? >> he was on his plane, on air force two on his way here to south korea when he got word about north korea's failed missile test. it was actually within an hour of taking off after refuelling in alaska that he was told. his advisers came back and told those of us reporters on his plane that it failed within four or five seconds of the attempt and that's why they made clear that they were not going to make a big deal out of it. their response was going to be to downplay it. that's certainly what we saw from the vice president himself. his first remarks here on the ground in south korea was in and around having easter dinner with u.s. troops. and he talked vague well about what happened. >> this morning's provocation from the north is just the latest reminder of the risks each one o

a reaction from china, let's bring in will ripley live. good morning to you, will. the president saying china can stop north korea's nuclear program. what's the united states -- >> reporter: sorry having issues with the earpiece, but this tweet and the statement president trump gave with the "financial times" is certainly -- well it's not phasing the chinese, they put out a statement a few hours ago saying during the overnight hours secretary of state tillerson had a chat with china's top diplomat and not mentioning at all any specific conversations about north korea. we know that the united states believes that china holds the key to reigning in north korea. they believe that china has economic leverage over the country they have not utilized but the bush administration also relied without success on china to solve the north korea problem, which is why president trump is saying the united states is prepared to go it alone, which means they might be willing to go at it alone, he said he would be willing to sit down and have a hamburger with kim jong-un as he said du

will ripley live in pyongyang. state tv made no mention of the failed missile launch? >> reporter: and they won't, john. north korea doesn't publicize failures but if this missile launch had been a success we'd probably see photos and video of the north korean leader kim jong-un presiding over a successful event. i've been in the country a couple times before and it's a surreal experience. the rest of the world is talking about this and pretty much everybody in north korea is unaware. i met with officials today who were aware of the reports but no comment expected from the country. i can tell you the sense i get, there will be more missile launches and i wouldn't rule out the possibility of this sixth nuclear test. the pungye nouk clear test is primed and ready according to intelligence analysts in the government and private sector. because there was a failed launch it may be more motivation for kim jong-un to try something more provocative to show strength to the international community after unveiling saturday all of these new missiles on display. >> will we'll keep

let's bring in cnn's will ripley. a dire warning was issues about potential to using chemical weapons what do we know? >> we know president shinzo abe, there's the threat that north korea could use chemical weapons, there was a strike on syria because of using chemical weapons on their people, but what they will say judging on our previous conversations is this is just another example of propaganda trying to drag north korea through the mud and they're not interested in developing weapons that violate international law though they're-thethey'rir tests violate it. there's a new analysis from 38 north and say it's prepped and ready to go. also images coming out of leader kim jong-un being released, it's interesting because we saw the leader himself today we got a phone call shortly after 4:00 a.m. and told we had just 20 minutes to get dressed up in suits bring very light technical gear, no cell phones allowed and taken through several hours of security, we new it was a pretty good bet it was where president kim jong-un

ripley saying things are most intense than he has ever seen in north korea. he has visited there 11 times. now do you see this playing out? >> reporter: well, think we have a really tense situation coming up, and the visit of the chinese hasn't given us many clues as to how they're going to play it. i think the president has not given the american people much sense of where he wants to go other than he wants to be very, very tough. but that's not a plan, and we need to see much more articulated about what our expectations are going to be in the coming days. but obviously putting the ships off the coast is a powerful signal. >> what do we know about how they respond to aggression? >> reporter: well, i think, unfortunately, i think they're inclined to play along into the play book of we're responding with signals back and forth. so i think the hope is here that there's a plateau that -- or an off ramp where both sides can start to have conversations not in the newspapers but actually behind closed doors. that's where something meaningful can get done. >> we're

will ripley is in pyongyang tonight. now, how's north korea responding to the deployment of the u.s. group to region? >> reporter: anderson, a few minutes ago north korean officials walked in the room and handed me this. this is a statement from a spokesperson from the ministry of foreign affairs. calls the dispatch of the aircraft carrier strike group a reckless act of aggression. it says that north korea is willing and ready to respond to whatever methods the u.s. wants to take. we were with north korea officials over the weekend when word came in that the carl had been rerouted. it was here a few weeks ago for joint military exercises between south korea and the u.s. they said they weren't surprised by it. though view this as the latest in a series of provocative acts by the trump administration. they have watched the missile strike on syria. they thought it was perhaps a veiled threat to north korea, the u.s. is willing to take military action if they feel a line is crossed. the north koreans say the difference betwe

first, to cnn's will ripley. he is joining us from pyongyang. will, you broke the story an hour ago. tell our viewers what you're learning about this latest north korean ballistic missile test. >> wolf, we've been going through numbers and this is actually the ninth attempted launch by north korea supreme leader kim jong-un in the first 99 days of the trump administration. first attempt on february 12th. second, march 6th. march 21st. april 4th. and april 16th. one of those was four scud missiles launched simultaneously. we have learned this particular missile of this morning's launch is believed to be k and 17. this is launched from a mobile launcher. this is the kind of solid fuel missile that north korea has been trying to perfect and develop. they launched what they call the pukuk song, launched from a submarine. they can roll it out on a mobile missile launcher, launch from land, take it out of hiding quickly in a few minutes because it has the solid fuel, like an explosive jelly allowing the missile to stay ready for launch sitting and hid

thank you so much, will ripley. jim sciutto is out front in washington. a terse response from the white house tonight but a volley of words from the president about north korea in the past 24 hours. >> reporter: that's right. you heard the secretary of state yesterday opening the door to talks with north korea, something of a walkback saying that that couldn't happen until steps were taken. mixed in with that you have donald trump's more bellicose woshds talking about the possibility of a major, major conflict over this. he's previously said he's not going to stand for a nuclear north korea. all options are on the table. it shows you how limited the options are that, listen, there are military options. previous managers have had them but those military opgs have great risks. short of that you're talking about things that have been talked about for a long time. more pressure from china, sanctions, warnings, the promise of the possibility of talks if there are concessions from north korea. all of those are -- have risks associated with them. many have faile

. >> will ripley is the only u.s. tv reporter in north korea right now. he's there on -- get this -- his 12th trip and joins me from pyongyang. president trump says he would not be happy and china would not be happy, either. is that enough of a deterrence for kim jong-un? >> reporter: in a word, no, but it certainly does send an interesting message, doesn't it? we know the united states and china appear to be, according to president trump, and hints we get out of beijing as well in close communication on the north korean issue, china state media has really been -- they have their state global times putting out editorial warning jong-un they would face consequences for a possible nuclear test. donald trump said they expected a nuclear test three days before that interview, which i believe would be friday or saturday in the united states, i'm not entirely sure. i think it was on saturday. the fact they thought there would be a nuclear test last week, that's new. the last that we heard the pyongyang nuclear site had actually appeared to have stood down from

cnn's will ripley is live with more. interesting. they say we are not getting a deterrent message, but a message to go further. >> reporter: that's right. if the attempts by the trump administration have north korea stopped developing nuclear weapons, it is having the opposite effect according to north korean officials in pyongyang. we were with officials when news came in about the carrier strike group. they said it is another provocative act on the part of the united states. they say it will only cause their country to speed up testing of nuclear weapons and missiles. kim jong un has launched more missiles and his father and grandfather combined. if you look at the latest s satellite imagery, the country could push the button anytime. and in the form of higher sanctions, they are willing to accept that. they say they would tighten their belts and cut every other program before the nuclear missile programs. chris and alisyn, the weapons of mass destruction are the key to survival for this nation. >> will ripley in north korea. thank

let's bring in will ripley. he's the only journalist in pyongyang right now. how is this being received? what are you hearing from inside north korea right now? >> kate, would think with all of these warships, 60 planes, 90,000 ton aircraft carrier almost arriving in the waters off the korean peninsula, that might intimidate this country which is clearly outgunned and outnumbered. yet it is having the opposite effect. north koreans say they're ready to defend themselves against an aggressive united states. they say they want to push forward and accelerate the development of nuclear weapons, missiles and warheads, that they hope to have a viable intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland. there is video of kim jong-un presiding over an assembly of lawmakers, he has it written into the constitution that north korea will be a nuclear power. something they plan on moving forward on, even faster now given what they believe is an eminent threat of attack from the united states. these are being reported on extensively inside the country and i

. >> let's go to cnn international correspondent will ripley in pyongyang. after the second failed missile test, does that make potentially a nuclear test more likely? >> reporter: it could potentially, victor. this is infuror rating to the regime here which has insisted to us on the ground that they will conduct another nuclear test at the time of their choosing. however, in addition to all of this rhetoric and north korea blasting the u.s. even over this controversy who is paying the billion dollars for the missile defense system in south korea but we get a sense there is a desire to engage with the united states. they don't want to see a military conflict like the u.s. doesn't want to see a military conflict because it would be destructive for all side involved. >> i want to listen to what the president said last night in this tweet basically calling north korea's missile test a direct snub to china. here is what he tweeted. there appears to be some clear divisions in how the u.s. is responding and how china is responding to north korea. what are you lear

cnn's will ripley is joining us from pyongyang with details. will? >> reporter: tensions here on the korean peninsula are at the highest level in years. but now there are indications the tide may be turning when it comes to china's willingness to cooperate with the united states on the north korean nuclear threat. president trump tweeting this morning, had a very good call last night with the president of china concerning the menace of north korea. and for the first time, the chinese government is acknowledging direct discussions about north korea between chinese president xi jinping and president trump. it's the first time that china has acknowledged those discussions since the meeting last week at mar-a-lago between the two presidents. also significant, an editorial in the state-run global "times" in china saying many in the chinese republic are fed up with the tension and encouraging their government to enforce stronger sanctions against pyongyang and kim jong-un to go forward with the nuclear tests that the united states believe could happen at a

will ripley is the only tv journalist in pyongyang. thank you for your reporting. >>> still ahead here, a deadly tornado ripping through the u.s. state of texas. take a look here. the destruction and the aftermath. i'll have the very latest for you. >>> plus, across the u.s., thousands of protestors march in blistering heat, even snow in some places, demanding that the president change his environmental policies. stay with us. olay regenerist hydrates skin better than creams costing over $100, $200, and even $400. fact check this ad in good housekeeping. olay. ageless. [fbi agent] you're a brave man, your testimony will save lives. mr. stevens? this is your new name. this is your new house. and a perfectly inconspicuous suv. you must become invisible. [hero] i'll take my chances. we, the entertainment-loving people, want all our rooms to be tv rooms. because those are the best rooms. because they have tvs in them. and, when we're not in those rooms, we want our shows to go with us. anywhere? you got that right, kid show thing. get a di

let's go to north korea where will ripley is the only american tv correspondent in pyongyang right now. will, kim jong-un has been defiant for so long. it seems unlikely that he's going to halt his nuclear annual business. so what might he do? what might he do next in response? >> reporter: when we were meeting with officials earlier and the news came in that this carrier strike group, the carl vinson, was moving back toward the korean peninsula, their response was that this along with the missile strike that was ordered on syria really only emboldens their leader kim jong-un to accelerate this country's nuclear weapons program because they feel that these weapons are the key to their survival as a nation. and when you walk around the street of pyongyang, you hear people say the same thing, they are told that through their state media for their whole lives really and this is the message that the government has been repeating for decades now. but they think the trump administration's behavior and rhetoric enforces their their i have it henarrative here. this is a statement from a govern

will ripley, joe johns, we appreciate it. >> let's bring in cnn analyst. general good morning to you. i want to get your reaction from something we heard from cnn analyst john kirby about this missile test. let's watch. >> this is kim giving us the finger, giving china the finger, giving the u.n. the finger. i think the timing is planned and pre ordained in his mind. >> the retired rear admiral making it plain for us. what do you make of his comments? >> i love john kirby speaking like a sailor. he's absolutely correct. look, this regime has been in place for over 70 years and i think what's different now is that we have run out of time over the course of many, many decades, we've watched and we've been prepared for provocations from the north and they have routinely pushed the envelope of what we would call a form of normalcy on the peninsula. what we have now is that we've run out of time. all estimates are that by 2020 north korea will have an icbm, an inter continental ballistic missile capability with a nuclear tip capable of reaching the west coast o

will ripley is in pyongyang tonight. will, you had the chance -- this is important for our viewers to know. you spoke with a senior north korean official. >> yes. >> what did he tell you? >> it is very rare to have a north korean official sit down and go on the record with us, erin. we talked about a wide range of topics. one thing he made very clear, even though north korea hasn't conducted its sixth nuclear test, he said there will be more nuclear tests, more missile launches, more provocative behavior than what we saw this week. showi ining their military equipment. all because of one reason. >> translator: this exercise is a direct response to acts of aggression by the united states. >> reporter: and also a response to what we saw happening in south korea. a joint military exercise between the united states and south koreian forces, fighter yet, tanks on the ground, south korea and the u.s. trying to send their own message that they have more firepower than north korea. what officials here are telling me, erin, is th

cnn's will ripley is in pyongyang on his 12th visit to north korea. he has an exclusive report. will, europe learning new information. update our viewers. p. >> will, we know, wolf, that this american silt sen was detained over the weekend at the pyongyang airport. this is the main entry and exit point of the country but the status of his right wight now. we don't know where he is or the conditions he's being housed in, but what we do know is that this underscores what the state department is calls a real danger for americans who advice think the country. he was just steps away from boarding a flight out of north korea, but something happened at the pyongyang airport, and now an american citizen is in custody. >> this airport is one of the only ways in and out of north korea. just a handful of flights pass through on any given week and it was other that north korean officials detained a man. kim jong duk who goes by tony kim has finished several weeks of teaching at science and technology, a private institution where foreign professors, including americans, teach north korean st

cnn's will ripley in pyongyang, north korea for us. will, thank you very much. let's get back to senator chris murphy, member of the foreign relations committee. first of all, the president says he's not so sure, senator, that kim jong-un is so strong like he says he is. those are the words of the president. do you think he could underestimate kim jong-un right now? >> well, i don't think his escalation of rhetoric is helpful, and we shouldn't underestimate a leader who clearly has designs on obtaining a nuclear weapon put on to an icbm that can reach the united states, and we also need to understand how we are going to understand this threat. it's not frankly going to be through a u.s.-led invasion of north korea. it is going to be through a diplomatic effort led by the united states and perhaps china that applies tough sanctions on north korea, ultimately resulting in a diplomatic agreement whereby they renounce their path to a nuclear weapon that can hit the united states. that can't happen right now in an administration that is making more enemies than frien

let's go live to will ripley, only journalist inside north korea. a navy strike group heading your way. what's the reaction there? >> reporter: this is not unprecedented. the carrier striker group, carl vincent was deployed a few weeks ago for joint military exercises between the u.s. and south korea. what the united states had done, turned it around and now it is heading towards the waters off the korean peninsula as a direct result of north korean aggression. i was here in pyongyang meeting with government officials yesterday when the news first came in that the strike group was heading this way. they didn't seem particularly phased by it. they said this is another example of inkreetsingly provocative behavior by the trump administration. of the world thinks north korea is the one provoking everyone else but north korea feels that the united states is really racheting up tensions in the peninsula and talked about the missile strike on syria. they do not believe it was coincidental that that missile strike happened as president trump was having din

will ripley, thank you for the reporting. again, the only american journalist inside of pyongyang. >>> representative brendan boyle is with us, democrat from pennsylvania, a member of the house committee on foreign affairs. i do want to get your take on russia and all of the developments this morning having to do with russia, the harsh words from the secretary of state, rex tillerson, calling rush ssia complicit or incompet, and then rex tillerson's justification for the air strikes saying you don't want the chemical weapons to spread to isis, to terrorists, you don't want the normalization of those. what do you make of those justifications for the air strikes? are they enough for you? >> well, great being with you. first of all, i think it's quite self-evident that since 2013 russia has failed in its commitment to remove all of the chemical weapons from syria. we sadly saw the evidence of that a couple weeks ago or just a week ago now on videotape. it's not terribly surprising. it's not as if vladimir putin and his regime is

we're live in north korea where officials tell our correspondent will ripley the threat of war with the united states is imminent. will is on his 12th visit to north korea. he's joining us live from pyongyang, the capital. president trump also says a major conflict is possible. update us on the latest information you're getting there. >> reporter: well, north korea certainly responding to the comments from president trump, everything from the military parade to the exercises we saw this week, the prop gra-- propaganda video. we're on the ground watching very closely what north korea's next move will be. north korea putting its fire power on full display, facing mounting international pressure. it's clear this is a regime with something to prove. the korean peoples army calling tuesday's live fire drill their largest ever, long range artillery by the hundreds, submarines, bombers. earlier this month staging this massive military parade, unveiling what north korea says are new missiles, trying and failing to launch one the very next day. on the ground it's clear to us this is an attempt t

>> will ripley reporting exclusively for us from pyongyang in north korea. will, thank you very, very much. let's get more on all of this. congressman john gare amendy joins us. he's a member of the armed sf z services committee. thank you for joining us. >> good to be with you on a very dangerous subject. >> the commander said he takes the north korean leader, kim jong-un, at his word that he's developing a long-range nuclear missile capable of eventually hitting the united states. how soon do you believe that could happen? >> we do not know. we know that it's not going to be imminent, that is in the very near future, but clearly they're headed in that direction, and they're also miniaturizing their nuclear bombs so they could fit atop that missile. so this is an ongoing threat and a very real one. it is out there. the question is what to do about it. do we accept the reality that that could happen, or do we engage in some way to back north korea away from that program. the report that just preceded this discussion really laid out very, very well some alter

will ripley in pyongyang. thanks, will. i want to bring in david rhodes editor for reuters. all the military activity, the u.s.s. carl vinson, joint exercises with japan and south korea. this is an aircraft carrier strike group. i know that this makes the north koreans very nervous. >> it does. and it's clearly designed to pressure them. i also think it's partly to pressure the chinese to produce results. everyone's talked about how china has the economic leverage to get north korea to stop his development of this nuclear capacity. two audience for this. one in beijing and one in pyongyang. >> the military maneuvers plus the tough talk may have an impact on north korea but you think it's to get the chinese more involved because they have leverage recovery north korea? >> the feert thar that there is possibility that trump could carry out a military strike against north korea. that's unlikely. this is designed to show why that would be so dangerous. many of these weapons could reach seoul. you could take out and damage the nuclear capability, but you'd have an immediate retal

let's go to will ripley, the only american journalist in pyongyang. it's now mid tuesday morning there. any signs of the activity by the north korean government we see on holidays? >> reporter: if there was going to be a nuclear test, it would happen pretty much right about now. it would be detected outside of north korea, an artificial earthquake. that has not happened. analysts believe that kim jong-un could order a sixth nuclear test at any moment. as for a missile launch, they can roll out the solid fuel missiles quickly and given the fact that this u.s. nuclear submarine will be rolling up in south korea, it would be a day that north korea may want to fire back, so to speak. >> has the north reacted to the expected arief ed ed arrival of submarine? >> reporter: they have not specifically commented. there was a state media article out yesterday calling the actions of the united states reckless, referring to the "carl vinson" which is moving toward the peninsula after the detour. north korea continues to say they will stand strong and defend themse

. >>> now to will ripley, live in north korea, the only north korean journalist in pyongyang as that u.s. aircraft carrier-led strike group is heading into the peninsula. will, who you is north korea responding? >> reporter: well and ana, i was with government officials when news came in the carrier strike group was headed back to the kree nan peninsula. it was here a matter of weeks ago conducting joint military exercises between the u.s. and south korea. the officials did not seem fazed but they did say this is yet another provocative action by the trump administration. they are watching all these developments unfold very closely. another interesting discussion i had with officials here, they don't think it was coincidental that president trump ordered the missile strike on syria when he was having dinner with chinese president xi jinping at mar-a-lago. they believe that was a deliberate show of force by the united states, a threat to china to expert more economic pressure over north korea, and also a threat to north korea itself that things will be changing under the trump adminis

. >> our will ripley is in the north korean capital and had an up close look at the military parade and military hardware. >> reporter: ominous sight. north korea's growing missile arsenal on full display including what the south korean military suspects are two never before seen intercontinental ballistic missiles. like all military parades around the world, these missiles are most likely mock-ups but analysts believe north korea has the real thing and may be waiting for just the right moment to put this modernized missile arsenal to the test. what should the world think when they see these ballistic missiles rolling by? is north korea a threat to the world? >> translator: the korean people's army is fully ready to attack our enemies at any moment, he says, if they try to attack us. >> reporter: despite escalating rhetoric and u.s. warships and submarines headed for the korean coast, the nation's supreme leader kim jong-un did not test a weapon on saturday as many predicted instead he showed force by showing off missiles that could some day deliver nuclear warheads to the mainland u.s.

new york, ripley, ohio, etc. what has sparked this interest that it all came to fruition this weekend? their whole travel section was on the underground railroad. new york, ripley, ohio, etc. what has sparked this interest that it all came to fruition this weekend? >> you want to speak to it? >> next week, the national park service, that all happens next week, so it is a huge opening. not just for harriet tubman, but to showed she is part of a larger story, and that is important for people to realize. everybody hears about harriet tubman, but there are smaller stories. >> i did not know about the fugitive slaves going to florida to be free. >> right, that was a great story in the new york times. >> in 1990 eight, congress adopted this legislation that sparked work at the state and local level, a lot of the popular culture is following up on this renewed interest. history month, a lot of attention in that sense, but the park service's deserve a lot of credit for driving the story forward. i think it has become a s

will ripley is the only u.s. journalist reporting from north korea. joining us live from pyongyang. will, there's high tension in the region. give us the latest. >> reporter: just days before vice president pence heads to the region here, there are indications that china may be taking action against the north korean regime of that meeting with president trump and chinese president ping, reports flashing on reuters that chinese traders have been told to return shipments of north korean coal, a major revenue generator for the regime which continues to grow its nuclear program, nuclear envoys for south korea pledging to take strong action which they haven't specified if north korea conducts its sixth nuclear test which is believed could happen at any time. facing mounting global pressure to stop testing nuclear weapons, many fear kim jong-un might accelerate his weapons program and they are awaiting his next move. on saturday north korea celebrates the day of the sun, their most important holiday of the year, honoring the birth of the nation's founding father, kim il-sung. trying to la