The Foreign Secretary said the world faced a catastrophe if the secretive communist state - a "rogue nation" - was able to mount a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

He also repeated his call for China to put more pressure on the Pyongyang regime as he urged a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

In a social media video message recorded at the United Nations in New York, Mr Johnson referred to Mr Trump's debut speech at the annual gathering of world leaders.

Mr Trump told the UN "Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime" and added that if the US was "forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea".

Mr Johnson said: "You heard the President of the United States' speech about Rocket Man - Elton John getting a place in Donald Trump's speeches. Of course it's very, very serious.

"The world faces a catastrophe that it hasn't seen before, that is a rogue nation being able to use an ICBM equipped with a thermonuclear hydrogen warhead. That is very, very dangerous, something we have got to stop. The key to it, we think, is to work together with all our friends and partners here in the UN, get the Chinese to put more economic pressure on Pyongyang."

At the summit, Mr Johnson met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and urged him to keep up the pressure on North Korea.

The Foreign Secretary told The Guardian: "No one in their right minds wants to see the US driven to use its military options - I do not see any good military options - and that is why all the pressure has to be on the Chinese to tighten the sanctions on oil. That is the jugular of the North Korean economy.

"China has been responding in a mature way, and they say if you go in too hard you will cause a catastrophe and mass migrations. Before that happens it may be possible to bring Kim Jong Un to the table."

Mr Johnson also met Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono and reiterated the UK's solidarity with Japan over the threat it faces from Kim's regime.

Meanwhile, a Downing Street spokeswoman said military force must remain an option to deal with the "rogue" state.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

"We are clear that North Korea's actions are provocative and destabilising and our focus is on increasing the pressure on them to change course. As President Trump said, the international community must continue to work together to confront rogue regimes and that is exactly what the Prime Minister will be doing in discussions with world leaders in New York this week.