Ahead of Trump’s speech to South Korea’s National Assembly, North Korean officials authorized to speak to CNN said the risk of war had never been higher.

« Over decades of bilateral confrontation, never, ever has the situation on the Korean peninsula been this acute with the real military confrontation and risk of another Korean War looming over the horizon, » officials told CNN’s Will Ripley.

While North Korea will be closely watching and listening to President Trump’s words, the regime is downplaying the impact of his speech on their actions.

The officials said: « We don’t care about what that mad dog may utter because we’ve already heard enough. »