Most Americans oppose preemptive strike on DPRK, trust U.S. military leaders not Trump: poll

Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Feb. 13, 2017 shows a test firing of a surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 on Feb. 12, 2017. (Xinhua/KCNA)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose a preemptive strike on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and most Americans trust U.S. military leaders instead of U.S. President Donald Trump to handle the nuclear crisis responsibly, said a new poll on Sunday.

According to the Washington Post-ABC News poll, 67 percent of Americans believe that the United States should launch a military strike on the DPRK only if the country first attacks the United States or its allies.

As to their confidence in Trump on solving the DPRK nuclear issue, 37 percent of Americans trust Trump either "a great deal" or "a good amount" to handle the issue in a responsible way, with 42 percent saying that they trust Trump "not at all."

In comparison, 72 percent of Americans trust U.S. military leaders on the DPRK issue, including 43 percent saying that they trust them "a great deal."

Trump on Tuesday threatened in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly that the United States "will have no choice than to totally destroy" the country if forced to defend itself or its allies.

After the threat, the DPRK said it might test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.

China on Friday urged all relevant parties to avoid any action that may increase tension on the Korean Peninsula.

"The current situation on the peninsula is severe and complicated," Foreign Minister spokesperson Lu Kang said at a daily press briefing. "Only if all sides bear their due responsibilities, can the peninsula nuclear issue be truly resolved and peace and stability restored to the region."

The DPRK knows well that China opposes its development of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests, Lu said. "What parties concerned should do now is to strictly and comprehensively implement UN Security Council resolutions and make positive efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue."

"China opposes unilateral sanctions imposed by any country outside the framework of the UN Security Council," Lu said.