North Korea considers new US sanctions 'an act of war'

While agreeing to begin a dialogue with the United States, North Korea issued a statement on Sunday in which it said it considered the new sanctions imposed by Washington on the regime of Kim Jong-un "an act of war."

In a statement issued by the North Korean state news agency KCNA, the Foreign Ministry said that the US is trying to bring "another black cloud of confrontation and war on the Korean Peninsula in announcing huge sanctions."

Last Friday (23), the US Treasury announced new sanctions against North Korea affecting 27 entities and 28 vessels, under the premise of harming exports and further isolating the country. 

Earlier, the North Korean Labor Party's inter-Korean relations official, Gen. Kim Yong-chol, said the regime would be willing to engage in dialogue with the United States. The signposting takes place amidst the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city of PyeonChang, which had the participation of North Korea at the last minute. The event ended on Sunday and was attended by the eldest daughter of US President Donald Trump and General Kim Yong-chol.

"If the United States ignores our sincere efforts to improve inter-Korean relations ... and insists on provoking us, we will have a firm hand and we will deal with it from our own way of reaction," the statement said. "If the tensions in the Korean Peninsula are brought to the brink of war thanks to the inconsequential actions in the USA, all the catastrophic consequences resulting from this will be attributed to the US."