North Korea’s state newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published two editorials Wednesday threatening the use of “absolute force” against “mad guy” President Donald Trump and a “barrage of fire” over South Korea.

The editorials follow remarks by both President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, suggesting optimism at the approach North Korea is taking to the bilateral relationship.

In a column titled “U.S. Should Not Misjudge Retaliatory Will of DPRK,” writers for the regime publication argue that Trump “has not yet come to his senses” and agreed to allow North Korea to develop nuclear weapons, despite the near constant threats of unleashing these weapons on the U.S. mainland.

“Recently, he spouted again a load of rubbish that he would tackle the issue through not a good method, asserting military has been loaded and is ready to fire,” the article laments. “Nightmare of a nuclear disaster is haunting the U.S. distressed with uneasiness and horror that mad guy Trump’s unrestrained war-inciting tongue-lashing might turn the U.S. mainland into huge heaps of ashes.”

“Only absolute force can contain the reckless military maneuvers of the Yankees,” the piece warns.

A separate article warns South Korea to end its alliance with the United States or face a “barrage of fire.”

“Under the situation where their master U.S. is afraid of the DPRK’s merciless military retaliation, the puppet military gentries who are no more than the U.S. bullet shields and poor war servants, are crying out for the ‘operation conception for attack,'” the article claims. “This is a tragicomedy that makes the boiled head of a cow provoke a side-splitting laughter.”

“The puppet warmongers would be well advised to stop the foolish act of inviting the barrage of fire from the DPRK and behave prudently under the tense situation,” the writers conclude.

The belligerence in these pieces is no deviation from typical Rodong Sinmun columns or declarations on North Korea’s other major propaganda outlet, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Yet it follows multiple statements from the Trump administration assuring Americans that North Korea is reconsidering its approach to U.S. policy.

“I’m pleased to see that the regime in Pyongyang has certainly demonstrated some level of restraint,” Tillerson told reporters on Tuesday. “We hope that this is the beginning of the signal we’ve been looking for … perhaps we’re seeing our pathway to sometime in the near future of having some dialogue. We need to see more on their part. But I want to acknowledge the steps they’ve taken so far.”

Hours later, at a rally in Arizona, President Trump asserted that North Korea was “learning to respect us.” “Kim Jong-Un, I respect the fact that I believe he is starting to respect us. I respect that fact very much,” he said. “And maybe, probably not, but maybe something positive can come about.”

The South Korean newswire service Yonhap published a report Wednesday suggesting that the Kim regime’s lack of respect for America may soon extent beyond incendiary vitriol in its state media. According to Yonhap, which in turn cites KCNA, Kim “has ordered the production of more solid-fuel rocket engines and warhead tips for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) during his inspection of a chemicals institute.”

North Korea has announced the creation of a ballistic missile named the Pukguksong-3, which it may soon test, once again violating international sanctions. According to the report, Kim allegedly “instructed” his scientists to “produce more solid-fuel rocket engines and rocket warhead tips by further expanding engine production process and the production capacity of rocket warhead tips and engine jets by carbon and carbon compound material.”

Trump has previously asserted that the U.S. military is “locked and loaded” for war with North Korea on Twitter.

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