North Korea has boasted about its “fully fledged nuclear power” in an open letter accusing Donald Trump of “trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster.”

The “unprecedented” letter to the West also urged for “sharp vigilance” against the “heinous and reckless” administration of the US President.

It is understood the letter was written by North Korea’s Foreign Affairs Committee before being sent to a number of Western countries.

It was sent a week after Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly, saying “the United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, published the letter after receiving it through her country's Indonesian embassy via the North Korea consulate in Jakarta.

President Donald Trump (
Image:
Getty Images North America)

It read: “If Trump thinks that he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance.

“The DPRK has emerged a fully-fledged nuclear power which has a strong nuclear arsenal and various kinds of nuclear delivery means made by dint of self-reliance and self-development.

“The real foe of nuclear force is a nuclear war itself.

"The Foreign Affairs Committee … takes this opportunity to express belief that the parliaments of different countries loving independence, peace and justice will fully discharge their due mission and duty in realising the desire of mankind for international justice and peace with sharp vigilance against the heinous and reckless moves of the Trump administration trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster.”

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, published the letter after receiving it through her country's Indonesian embassy (
Image:
AAP)

Bishop, who posted a copy of a cover letter on her verified Facebook page, said: "I read this as showing that the collective strategy of allies and partners to impose maximum pressure and diplomatic and economic sanctions on North Korea is working.”

News of the development came as the US Air Force reportedly prepare to put nuclear-armed B-52 bombers back on 24-hour ready alert General David Goldfein, US Air Force chief of staff said: "This is yet one more step in ensuring that we are prepared.

“I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in."

General Goldfein stressed the alert had not yet been issued, but preparations were underway in anticipation.

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This type of status has not been seen since the Cold War ended in 1991.

Trump announced today that he will press Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing next month to do more to rein in North Korea.

He also called for the country to cease what Washington sees as unfair trade practices and to fully implement the UN, a senior White House official said today.

Security Council's sanctions resolutions against Pyongyang and to take bilateral steps that go beyond that, the official told reporters ahead of Trump's Asia trip.

The failure to confront and reverse the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea will lead to a "much darker era," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But the official also said Trump is looking for a peaceful resolution of the North Korea standoff.