North Korean attack on US soil would lead to hermit kingdom being 'obliterated by thermonuclear weapons'

There have been days of escalating rhetoric between the Trump administration and Kim Jong-un's regime

A North Korean attack on US territory would result in the hermit kingdom being “obliterated by thermonuclear weapons” in response, a retired Marine Corps colonel has said.

Steve Ganyard, an aviation consultant for ABC News, has outlined the possible responses if North Korea decides to attack the US.

There has been escalating rhetoric between the Trump administration and Kim Jong-un's regime and state controlled media in North Korea has claimed it was formulating plans to strike the US territory of Guam with “historic enveloping fire”.

Mr Ganyard said any such action would be viewed as an “act of war, even if [Kim] does not hit".

“Shooting at Guam is no different than shooting at New York City,” he told ABC News.

If any part of the US mainland is attacked by North Korea, Mr Ganyard said the response would be destructive.

“US policy since Eisenhower has been, ‘You come across the [demilitarised zone], or you attack the United States and you will immediately be obliterated by thermonuclear weapons,’” he said.

The warning comes as a North Korean government official reportedly warned the US mainland could be “reduced to ashes at any moment”.

The Rodong Sinmun, an official mouthpiece of Kim Jong-un’s ruling Workers’ Party, said the “reckless and hysteric” behaviour of Donald Trump would be to blame if the US is attacked.

The Trump administration has been “seized with anxiety and terror” following North Korea's successful testing of a long-range missile, the newspaper claimed, saying “US military warmongers are running amok”.