North Korea blasts US over new sanctions

North Korea on Sunday slammed a sweeping new set of sanctions announced by the Trump administration, saying that the U.S. is attempting to spark confrontation.

State media called the new penalties against Pyongyang “enormous,” Reuters reported. 

{mosads}“On the eve of closing of the Olympics, United States is running amok to bring another dark cloud of confrontation and war over the Korean peninsula by announcing enormous sanctions against [North Korea],” the Korean Central News Agency said, according to the news outlet.

The Trump administration last week announced a slew of new sanctions aimed at Pyongyang’s maritime activities, a move that followed a year of heightened tensions over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

President Trump described the latest sanctions as “the largest-ever” penalizations imposed on North Korea.

South Korea, meanwhile, said on Sunday that Pyongyang is still receptive to discussions with the United States.