North Korea warns of stronger reaction after US imposes new sanctions

Seoul: North Korea on Friday warned that it will have to take “stronger and certain reaction” after the US imposed new sanctions over Pyongyang’s recent missile launches.

In a statement carried by Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson for the North’s Foreign Ministry said the recent launch of what it claims to be a hypersonic missile was an “exercise of right to self-defence”.

“If the US adopts such a confrontational stance, the DPRK will be forced to take stronger and certain reaction to it,” Yonhap News Agency quoted the KCNA statement as saying.

DPRK stands for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

On Wednesday, the US slapped sanctions on six North Koreans involved in the reclusive regime’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile



programs.

The move came a day the North launched what it claims to be a newly developed hypersonic missile on Tuesday, the second such test in less than a week.

“The DPRK’s recent development of new-type weapon was just part of its efforts for modernizing its national defence capability,” the KCNA statement said.

“It did not target any specific country or force and it did not do any harm to the security of neighbouring countries.”

North Korea has been testing a series of new weapons amid a deadlock in its nuclear negotiations with the US.

The nuclear talks remain stalled since their Hanoi summit in 2019 ended without a deal.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the North may continue launching more missiles, describing it as North Korea “trying to get attention”.