North Korea has condemned the new sanctions approved by the United Nations describing them as "Flagrant Violation of the country's sovereignty". The country vowed to take necessary actions against the United States for masterminding the sanctions. North Korea's Foreign Minister, Ri Young Ho who made the statement at the ASEAN Regional Forum held on Monday said "Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles is a legitimate option for self-defense in the face of a clear and real nuclear threat posed by the US".
He made it clear that "We will, under no circumstances, put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table "and warned that North Korea will "teach the US a severe lesson" if it used military force against North Korea.
Recall that on Saturday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted new sanctions in response to North Korea's Long-range Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) test carried out on July 4 and 28. The new set of sanctions which targeted the country's exports including coal, iron and seafood were intended to cut its revenue. The sanctions also targeted its banks and joint ventures with other foreign companies.
Reacting to the sanctions, the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson expressed hope that the sanctions will bring North Korea to the table and ultimately force them to abandon the pursuit of its nuclear program. Tillerson who made this known at a press conference organized at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila insisted that the sanctions were a stern warning to Kim Jong Un that the UN is united in its quest to have a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
"We hope again that this ultimately will result in North Korea coming to a conclusion to choose a different pathway, and when the conditions are right that we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so that they feel secure and prosper economically,"
