Donald Trump threatens to ‘totally destroy’ North Korea

US President Donald Trump has threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea during his inaugural address to the United Nations General Assembly.

“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,” Trump said.

During the 41-minute address, Trump also called Kim Jong Un by the nickname he gave the North Korean leader via Twitter over the weekend, saying “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself”.

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“One man in the audience covered his face with his hands shortly after Mr Trump made his ‘totally destroy’ comment, while Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom crossed her arms,” Reuters reports.

Later in the speech, Trump took aim at Iran, calling that country an “economically depleted rogue state” that exported violence, and that its government “masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy.”

Iran quickly denounced Trump’s remarks via its semi-official Fars news agency.

“Trump’s shameless and ignorant remarks, in which he ignored Iran’s fight against terrorism, displays his lack of knowledge and unawareness,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying.

Conservative Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin called Trump’s address the “weirdest UN speech ever”, adding that Trump’s language is “so cringe-worthy as to lower the status and prestige of the United States on the international stage”.