Donald Trump‘s security advisor H.R. McMaster said the United States is applying “maximum pressure” on the hermit nation to deter Kim Jong-un from sparking a nuclear war.
North Korea has ramped up its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, causing fears of World War 3 breaking out.
General McMaster told CBS: “What we are doing is really applying maximum pressure to North Korea to convince Kim Jong-un that this is a dead end.
“This pursuit of nuclear weapons and an intercontinental ballistic missile, long-range ballistic missile, which of course poses a grave danger to the whole world. So what you’ve seen is an effort led by the President, worldwide really though, to isolate the regime.
“To cut off not just what is restricted by the current UN security council resolutions but to do more. The President has asked all nations to cut off all trade.”
Mr Trump has also promised to “take care” of the situation is a huge warning to Kim Jong-un.
The US President said: “This situation should have been taken care of long before I got into office when it was much easier to handle. But it will be taken care of. We have no choice.
“Our campaign of maximum pressure on the North Korean regime has resulted in the toughest ever sanctions. We have united our allies in an unprecedented effort to isolate North Korea, however, there is much more work to do.
“America and its allies will take all necessary steps to achieve a denuclearisation and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world.”
North Korea’s most recent missile test took place on November 29, and the regime said the Hwasong-15 missile flew 590 miles during its 53-minute flight before landing in the sea new Japan.
After the missile test Kim Jong-un declared the North had “finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force”.
Despite expected economic difficulties, it remains to be seen whether Pyongyang will reverse its position clinging to nuclear weapons development, according to the think tank, which is the research arm of the Seoul’s National Intelligence Service.