North Korea Calls U.N. Sanctions an ‘Act of War’

North Korea Calls U.N. Sanctions an ‘Act of War’
North Korea on Sunday called the latest round of punishing United Nations sanctions an “act of war,” and reminded the United States
that the North’s rapid development of missiles and atomic bombs meant it posed a “substantial nuclear threat to the U. S. mainland.”
In a statement released by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency, North Korea said the sanctions approved unanimously on Friday by the United Nations Security Council were tantamount to a blockade,
and it threatened to retaliate against the United States and the council’s 14 other member nations.
“We will further consolidate our self-defensive nuclear deterrence aimed at fundamentally eradicating the U. S. nuclear threats, blackmail
and hostile moves by establishing the practical balance of force with the U. S.,” the Foreign Ministry statement read.
The sanctions are intended to hurt North Korea in two vital ways: Cutting refined petroleum imports by 89 percent would exacerbate the country’s fuel crisis,
and expelling foreign guest workers would substantially reduce remittances, an important source of hard currency.