CaliToday (06/11/2025): North Korea's regime issued a forceful condemnation of new United States sanctions on Wednesday, labeling the measures "irrefutable proof" of Washington's "inveterate hostility" and inherent malice.
In a statement released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Vice Foreign Minister for U.S. relations, Kim Un-chol, declared that Pyongyang would meet continued pressure with commensurate "patience."
The statement was a direct response to measures announced by the U.S. Treasury Department just two days prior. Those sanctions targeted eight North Korean individuals and two entities accused of laundering money from illicit cyber activities to finance the nation's illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
"As long as the U.S. administration clings to its hostile stance to the end, we will respond with patience and within a corresponding limit," Kim Un-chol stated. "The U.S. should not delude itself that its method of pressure, threats, and extortion can subjugate the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
Kim accused Washington of possessing an "evil and two-faced nature," asserting that the new sanctions "only strengthen Pyongyang's will for self-defense and its resolve."
"Maximum Pressure" Resumes
The diplomatic escalation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump, during his second term, has revived his "maximum pressure" strategy. This approach combines stringent economic penalties with conditional diplomatic outreach aimed at achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
President Trump recently expressed a desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again at the upcoming APEC Summit in South Korea. However, Pyongyang has remained silent on the offer.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), there were recent signs that North Korea had considered resuming dialogue. However, the U.S. expansion of sanctions coupled with a successful U.S. push at the UN to penalize seven additional vessels for transporting coal and iron to China—reportedly caused Pyongyang to "freeze" all channels of contact.
Regional analysts said the harsh rhetoric from Pyongyang was predictable, as North Korea has long demanded the easing of sanctions as a prerequisite for substantive negotiations.
"Pyongyang's message is clear: they will not talk while being held at knifepoint," said one regional security expert.
Targeting Illicit Cyber-Finance
Washington maintains that the new measures are not aimed at diplomacy, but at disrupting North Korea's sophisticated clandestine financial network. U.S. officials allege this network generates billions of dollars annually through state-sponsored cyber-attacks and cryptocurrency theft.
This illicit income is widely seen as the "lifeblood" funding Kim Jong Un's WMD programs, allowing them to advance despite years of severe international sanctions under multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
The standoff quickly reverberated across international media and social platforms.
RT News posted on X (formerly Twitter): "North Korea SLAMS US for imposing new sanctions on banks and officials calling it 'proof of hostility.'"
Bloomberg confirmed the stalemate, reporting: "North Korea says sanctions won't help restart dialogue only prove the US has never changed."
At the United Nations, observers noted that the Security Council may convene an emergency session to discuss further restrictions. However, any resolution proposing new sanctions is widely expected to be vetoed by China and Russia.
The Trump administration has reaffirmed it will not concede to pressure, maintaining a hard-line stance aimed at compelling Pyongyang to completely dismantle its nuclear program and cease its disruptive cyber activities.