President Donald Trump has declared that North Korea is now a designated state sponsor of terrorism.

The announcement comes after months of tension between the rogue nation and the US, with President Trump having regularly traded personal barbs and insults with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

:: Donald Trump 'sentenced to death' for insulting Kim Jong Un

Being a designated state sponsor of terrorism allows President Trump to impose a number of new sanctions, to be announced on Tuesday. He hinted that they would be "very large".

Speaking at the White House on Monday, President Trump said: "Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Should have happened a long time ago - should have happened years ago."


Trump urges 'deal' with North Korea

North Korea was on the list for 20 years before being removed by President George W. Bush in June 2008, but its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons and missile programmes has riled President Trump and defied existing sanctions placed upon the country by the UN Security Council.

Pyongyang has fired two missiles over Japan and has made no secret of its intention to develop a missile capable of hitting the US mainland, although US officials have privately questioned whether such acts and threats actually meet the criteria for President Trump's designation.

In order to be considered a state sponsor of terrorism, a country must "repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism".

Countries on the list before Monday were Syria, Sudan and Iran, which Mr Trump recently savaged as "a rogue regime".

Trump: China can 'fix' North Korea problem 'easily'

Experts also say that the move will be largely symbolic, as North Korea is already heavily sanctioned by the US.

President Trump attempted to justify the move by saying: "In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil."

In February, Kim's potential rival and elder brother Kim Jong-Nam died after he was sprayed with a nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport. The assassination was blamed on Pyongyang.

President Trump also cited the death of US student Otto Warmbier, who President Trump said was one of the many affected by "North Korean oppression".

The designation comes a week after President Trump returned from a 12-day, five nation trip to Asia, during which he called on the Chinese President to put more pressure on North Korea - but also spoke of his hope that he may one day be able to "make a deal" with the country.