North Korea today said that United States President Donald Trump's first trip to Asia showed he was a "destroyer" and he had begged for war on the Korean peninsula.

"Trump, during his visit, laid bare his true nature as destroyer of world peace and stability and begged for a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula," the foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by the state news agency.

Trump had warned North Korea not to underestimate the United States as he wrapped up his visit to South Korea.

The North Korean spokesman said nothing would deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear weapons programme.

Tensions over North Korea's weapons programme have surged in recent months, as Pyongyang carried out a sixth nuclear test -- by far its largest to date -- and test fired dozens of missiles, some capable of reaching the US mainland.