South Korea's presidential office has viewed U.S. President Donald Trump's warning to "totally destroy" North Korea as a reaffirmation of the U.S.’ pursuit of maximum pressure against Pyongyang.
 
In his first speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said that the U.S. has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, it will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.
 
Presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun, who is accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his U.S. trip, said that Trump's speech appears to have reaffirmed Washington's position of imposing maximum sanctions and pressure against North Korea over its continued provocations.
 
Park said that Trump clearly showed in his UN speech how seriously the U.S. government is taking the North Korean nuclear issue.
 
He added that Trump's speech reaffirmed that maximum pressure and sanctions should be imposed to make the North realize that denuclearization is the only path for its future.