North Korea demanded that the United States government ban "The Interview" Wednesday, threatening to take "a merciless counter-measure" in response to perceived American hostility if the movie starring James Franco and Seth Rogen is released. The action-comedy depicts a talk show host and his producer who score an interview with the secretive North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un, and are afterward hired by the CIA to assassinate him.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is infamous for threatening to make war on the United States and other countries. In his New Year's address, he warned Americans that the military's involvement with training South Korean forces would lead to a "nuclear catastrophe" if any accidental military skirmish were to erupt between North and South Korea. While he has yet to carry out many of his threats, the young dictator is ruthless when it comes to executing those who oppose his leadership.
When the trailer was first released on YouTube, North Korean officials strongly condemned the film but said they expected Kim to watch the movie, nevertheless. Reuters reports that an official North Korean news agency spokesman is now giving stern warning that the United States government will be actively engaging in war with North Korea if they release the film.
"Making and releasing a movie on a plot to hurt our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated," the North Korean spokesman said - "If the U.S. administration allows and defends the showing of the film, a merciless counter-measure will be taken."
Fox News reports that North Korea used aggressive speech toward both the American government and the filmmakers, calling them gangsters and saying that they were causing "a gust of hatred and rage" among North Koreans toward the United States.
"The Interview" is scheduled to be released on October 10.
