North Korea on Thursday sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for imposing new sanctions, accusing Washington of pursuing a hostile policy and warning it would respond in kind, according to state media KCNA.
The rebuke followed a move by the U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioning eight individuals and two entities allegedly involved in cyber-related money-laundering schemes linked to funding North Korea’s weapons programs.
The action was part of Washington’s ongoing effort to choke off Pyongyang’s access to international financing for its nuclear and missile development.
“There is nothing so silly as to expect a new result while following the old screenplay of the failed past,” KCNA quoted a North Korean vice foreign minister responsible for U.S. affairs as saying.
“The U.S. needs to realize that no matter how many sanctions it mobilizes, the possibility of changing the current strategic situation to its advantage is less than zero.”
The official added that Pyongyang would respond “correspondingly” to what it described as continued American antagonism.
“As long as the current U.S. administration has expressed its stance to antagonize us to the end, we will also be patient and respond correspondingly,” the statement said.
The latest exchange underscores the fragile state of relations between the two countries, even as diplomatic signals suggest potential engagement.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said earlier this week that there was a “high possibility” of a U.S.–North Korea summit early next year.
President Trump, who recently concluded a high-profile tour of Asia, has repeatedly expressed openness to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, despite mounting tensions over sanctions and missile tests.
Analysts say Pyongyang’s latest warning reflects frustration with Washington’s reliance on sanctions while keeping dialogue prospects alive, a dual-track approach that has defined Trump’s policy toward the reclusive state.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
