Donald Trump has announced the US is set to impose more sanctions on North Korea - days after he threatened to “totally destroy” the country.
Earlier this week, speaking in his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a “Rocket Man” on a suicide mission” and said the US may have to “totally destroy” the country if it did not halt its nuclear weapons programme. He also called on the nations assembled the UN, to work together to counter the threat.
Now, he has revealed he will announce fresh sanctions to try and pressure North Korea. Reports suggest they will not target oil.
“We will be putting more sanctions on North Korea,” Mr Trump said in response to a question at a meeting with Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, according to Reuters.
National security advisor HR McMaster said the president will make the announcement as he meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
“The president will make an important announcement today about the continuation of our efforts to resolve this problem with North Korea short of war,” he told CNN. “And he’ll make that announcement as he meets with our very close allies South Korea and Japan.”
Mr McMaster did not say, specifically, what actions Mr Trump plans to take.
Mr Trump has separate bilateral meetings with both Mr Moon and Mr Abe on Thursday. He also will eat lunch with both leaders, who have traditionally been strong allies of the US.
In recent weeks, North Korea has stepped up its testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the US mainland and nuclear payloads to go with them.
Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously passed fresh measures to punish the East Asian nation economically, with the support of China and Russia.
Mr Trump has repeatedly pressed China, North Korea’s only major ally, to do more to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. He also broke precedent to accuse South Korea of trying to “appease” its neighbour to the north.
