Donald Trump has declared the end to an "era of strategic patience" with North Korea as he vowed to defend the US and its allies against Pyongyang.

Appearing in the White House Rose Garden with South Korea's leader Moon Jae-in, the US President branded North Korea a "menace" with "no respect for human life".

He demanded the rogue state "choose a better path and do it quickly", condemned the country as a "reckless and brutal regime" and said "millions of their own people have starved to death."

Beyond North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile activity, concern in the US has grown recently after the death of Otto Warmbier.

The US student fell into a coma while in North Korean custody and died just days after being returned to the US.


Mr Trump said: "The North Korean dictatorship has no regard for the safety and security of its people or its neighbours and has no respect for human life - and that's been proven over and over again."

He thanked President Moon for offering his condolences over Mr Warmbier's death.

Mr Trump added: "The US calls on nations around the world to implement sanctions and demand that the North Korean regime chose a better path and do it quickly for a better future for its long-suffering people."

Image: Donald Trump met Moon Jae-in at the White House

The meeting between the two leaders on Friday was seen as important both diplomatically and economically.

Mr Trump praised the alliance between the US and South Korea as "a cornerstone of peace and security in a very, very dangerous part of the world".

The US President also accepted an invitation to South Korea later this year.

Mr Trump vowed to start reducing the US trade deficit by renegotiating a trade deal with South Korea.

The US had a $27.6bn trade deficit with South Korea last year and Mr Trump said: "We cannot allow that to continue. That's not a good deal."

The two leaders did not take questions, marking the second consecutive foreign visit where Mr Trump has not taken questions alongside a world leader he is hosting at the White House.

Mr Moon's visit to Washington DC came after Mr Trump approved a series of measures designed to ratchet up pressure on North Korea, while also sending signals to China about America's declining patience over efforts to tackle Pyongyang.

On Thursday, the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a Chinese bank, while the State Department approved a $1bn arms deal with Taiwan.

Both moves appeared aimed at unsettling China, with the US having repeatedly urged Beijing to pressure North Korea into changing its behaviour.