Gavin Williamson warned that the UK will “never hesitate” to deal with aggressive threats from North Korea.

It comes as the hermit kingdom has been implicated in the “WannaCry” cyber attack that crippled the NHS in May this year.

Mr Williamson said: “North Korea is a massive threat. They are a real danger to this country.

“They are currently on the pathway to having ballistic missiles that could strike London.

“This is not just a problem for the United States. This is a global problem. Britain has to step up in terms of dealing with it.

“There are threats emerging right around the world. Britain is a global player, it's a world player. We will never hesitate to deal with aggression and threats.”

His stark warning comes as Royal Navy warships are being dispatched to join a US fleet and other allies in joint operations.

He hinted the UK is drawing up contingency plans in case tensions in the Korean Peninsula escalates into war.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: “We are always planning for the worst and hoping for the best. We are working with all our allies in the region to make sure that we continue to put pressure on North Korea.

“We've got HMS Argyll, HMS Sutherland going to the region to do operations with our allies.”

It comes as the US and the UK vowed retaliation against North Korea after Trump’s Homeland Security advisor officially blamed North Korea for unleashing a cyberattack that crippled hospitals, banks and other companies across the globe earlier this year.

Kim Jong-un’s regime has long been suspected of the WannaCry cyber attack which targeted 150 countries and sent many of the UK's NHS hospitals into meltdown.

It is the highest-profile cyberattack North Korea has been blamed for since the 2014 attack on Sony Pictures after it produced a satirical movie about Kim Jong-un called “The Interview”.

Last night Donald Trump vowed to tackle North Korea’s missile tests “head on”, but there was “much more work to do”.

He said: “America and its allies will take all necessary steps to ensure denuclearisation and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world.

"It will be taken care of. We have no choice.”

Defence officials released two survival videos last night advising Guam residents on what they should do in the event of an attack.

North Korea has been working to attach a nuclear warhead onto missiles so it can strike mainland America.

The most recent North Korean missile test was estimated to have a range of 8,000 miles which could reach both Europe and the US.

Trump’s national security adviser General HR McMaster said the US is ready to “compel” North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

Mr McMaster said “all options” are open to Washington to take on the threat.

He said: “We are not committed to a peaceful resolution – we are committed to a resolution.

“We want the resolution to be peaceful, but as the President has said, all options are on the table and we have to be prepared, if necessary, to compel the denuclearisation of North Korea without the cooperation of that regime.

“The chances of war, who knows what they are? They could go up or down, I think, based on what we all decide to do.

“North Korea is a grave threat to all civilised people across the globe.”

Share This Post