N. Korean ambassador skips Trump's UN speech

— -- The North Korean ambassador to the United Nations walked out of the General Assembly hall before President Donald Trump addressed the group this morning.

The seesaw relationship between North Korea and the United States

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The Korean war started in 1950 and although the fighting stopped with the 1953 armistice, recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula are once again drawing attention to this part of the world. <br><br> A North Korean soldier looks through the window of the building that sits on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Panmunjom, South Korea, that separates the two Koreas, July 21, 2010.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Trump's criticized North Korea and the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, in his speech.

Ambassador Ja Song Nam was photographed at the General Assembly this morning, but he was seen leaving before Trump started speaking.

The front row seats assigned to North Korea were noticeably empty and the only individual sitting in the area was an unidentified man who appeared to be taking notes. He may be a lower-ranking member of the North Korean delegation.

Trump slammed "rocket man" Kim Jong Un during his first speech to the United Nations this morning.

"No nation on earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles. The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea," the president said. "Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary."