North Korea's government on Sunday condemned the new economic sanctions imposed by the United States, describing them as "act of war" North Korea's foreign ministry, while speaking to KCNA, the country's state-run news agency said the sanction would not deter the regime.
"Like we have said repeatedly, we would consider any restrictions on us as an act of war, and we will not stop the US if it really has the nerves to confront us in a 'rough' manner,"
"The two Koreas have cooperated together and the Olympics was held successfully. But the US brought the threat of war to the Korean Peninsula with large-scale new sanctions on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) ahead of the Olympics closing ceremony."
Recall that the United States Government had on Friday announced the new sanctions, which aim to prevent North Korea from further developing its nuclear programme,
According to Al-Jazeera, the sanctions, introduced on Friday by US President Donald Trump, prohibit US citizens from dealing with more than 50 vessels and companies, and one person, located in countries including North Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It added that assets held by the firms within the US will also be blocked.
Trump called the measures the "heaviest sanctions ever imposed on a country before" in an address in Washington on Friday. He cautioned the US will "have to go to phase two" if the sanctions don't have Washington's desired effect".
Speaking on the sanctions, Steven Mnuchin, the US treasury secretary, said the measure "will significantly hinder the Kim regime's capacity to conduct evasive maritime activities".
"[Those activities] facilitate illicit coal and fuel transports, and erode [North Korea's] abilities to ship goods through international waters.
The president has made it clear to companies worldwide that if they choose to help fund North Korea's nuclear ambitions, they will not do business with the United States."
