'Tensions could rise' after Trump comments on North Korea 🇰🇵

US President Donald Trump's highly-combative remarks against North Korea and its leader at the United Nations will only harden Pyongyang's resolve to continue developing its nuclear programme, analysts have warned.

Using what was described as "unprecedented" language, Trump made his debut address at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.

In a wide-ranging, 45-minute speech, his most anticipated foreign policy address of his tenure, Trump vowed that the US would "totally destroy" North Korea if it is forced to defend itself or its allies.

The sharp escalation in rhetoric came weeks after Trump warned that North Korea will be met with "fire and fury like the world had never seen" if it continues expanding its nuclear programme. 

"I expected him to talk tough and strong - but I did not expect him to talk quite that tough and quite that strongly," said Donald Kirk, a journalist and author of several books on Korea. He said Trump's remarks made the prospect of negotiations extremely unlikely.

North Koreans are not going to back down - if anything they are going to increase the tempo of their programme," Kirk told Al Jazeera from South Korea's capital, Seoul. "I think we can forget about North Korea saying, 'let's go to negotiations.'"

UCJ, UNILORIN.