Updated Monday 6.52am

President Donald Trump has announced a new order to help the US target people, companies and banks financing and facilitating trade with North Korea.

He also praised China for reportedly ordering banks to stop doing business with Pyongyang.

Mr Trump's actions follow his speech at the UN general assembly this week, when he escalated his rhetoric against North Korea amid a months-long crisis over Kim Jong Un's expanded missile testing programme.

He spoke of his own nation's "patience", but said that if "forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea".

Mr Trump said his new executive order would also disrupt other trade avenues for North Korea in efforts to halt its nuclear weapons programme.

He made the announcement on Thursday during a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Mr Trump said "tolerance for this disgraceful practice must end now".

However, the comment enraged North Korea, which retaliated on Friday it might test a hydrogen bomb on the Pacific Ocean, with leader Kim Jong Un promising to make a "mentally deranged" Trump pay dearly for his threats.

Kim, who has traded ever-more heightened rhetoric with Trump, did not specify what his response would be. His comments were believed to be the first direct message ever issued by a North Korean leader.

 

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