Amid calls from members of Congress to tone down his language, US President Donald Trump has instead issued new threats against North Korea, saying the nation risked being "in trouble like few nations have ever been."
The rhetoric between Pyongyang and the Trump administration has been intensifying for days, and despite a letter signed by 60 members of congress, calling on the president to stop his 'irresponsible and dangerous' statements, Trump has made fresh threats to the regime.
Earlier in the week, Trump said that North Korea faced "retaliation with fire and fury unlike any the world has seen before" if it failed to stop threatening the US with its nuclear missile program.
"Frankly, the people who were questioning that statement, was it too tough? Maybe it wasn't tough enough," Mr Trump said.
Credit: PA
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"And we're backed 100 percent by our military, we're backed by everybody and we're backed by many other leaders. And I noticed that many senators and others came out today very much in favour of what I said. But if anything that statement may not be tough enough."
Taking specifically about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the President said: "He has disrespected our country greatly. He has said things that are horrific. And with me, he's not getting away with it. He got away with it for a long time between him and his family... This is a whole new ball game.
"The people of this country should be very comfortable," Trump continued.
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"And I will tell you this: If North Korea does anything in terms of even thinking about attack of anybody that we love or we represent or our allies or us, they can be very, very nervous. I'll tell you why. And they should be very nervous. Because things will happen to them like they never thought possible, OK? He's been pushing the world around for a long time."
Credit: PA
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The President's latest comments come after news that North Korea was planning to launch a missile strike on the US territory of Guam, saying also that Trump is 'bereft of reason' and someone for whom 'only absolute force can work'.
Trump said that his comments were 'not a dare', but were instead a statement of fact.
China has also condemned Mr Trump's role in escalating the rhetoric, warning: "Such a hostile approach will do little but make things worse."
State-run outlet Xinhua said: "Reality has shown that tough tit-for-tat confrontations can lead nowhere, and that only dialogue can help address reasonable security concerns of the related parties for a solution acceptable to all, ensure denuclearisation on the peninsula and bring a lasting peace to the entire region."
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Source: Independent
Topics: united states, Donald Trump, North Korea