Kim Jong Un will receive very strong protections in a denuclearization deal with the U.S., President Donald Trump said on Thursday, but added that if no deal is reached then North Korea will most likely face the "Libya model" in which the country was "decimated."

The comments were made following a series of articles from North Korean state media since Wednesday, which derided both the U.S. and South Korea for recent comments and actions that the country opposes. The articles include threats to cancel the expected summit between Kim and Trump.