Anchor: U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly, warning that his country would destroy North Korea if it is forced to defend itself or its allies. He also called for cooperation from the global community in efforts to stop the North Korean provocations.
Alannah Hill has more.
 
Report: In his debut speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump criticized North Korea's serious human rights violations, citing the deaths of American college student Otto Warmbier and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam, who was assassinated in February.
 
[Sound bite: U.S. President Donald Trump]
"No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the well-being of their own people than the depraved regime in North Korea. It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans, and for the imprisonment, torture, killing and oppression of countless more."
 
Trump stepped up his rhetoric against North Korea over its nuclear and missile provocations, saying he could "totally destroy" the regime in the face of its nuclear and ballistic missile threats.
 
[Sound bite: U.S. President Donald Trump]
"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. 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."
 
The U.S. president also issued a warning against countries helping North Korea, saying that some nations continue to trade with the North, providing arms and financial support to a country that "imperils the world" with nuclear conflict.
 
While French President Emmanuel Macron shared Trump's view that Pyongyang had crossed a major threshold in military escalation, he rejected any military solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis and called for diplomacy. 

[Sound bite: French President Emmanuel Macron]
“Our responsibility along with all of our partners, including China and Russia, is through resolve to bring North Korea to the negotiating table for a political settlement to this conflict. France rejects escalation and will not close any door to dialogue, provided that the conditions are brought together for a dialogue in favor of peace.”

South Korea's presidential office said Trump's warning reaffirmed the U.S.’ pursuit of maximum pressure against Pyongyang.
Alannah Hill, KBS World Radio News. 

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