North Korea threatened the United States on Thursday with a pre-emptive nuclear strike, raising the level of rhetoric.
In response, the UN Security Council imposed new sanctions against North Korea amid escalating tensions. The council unanimously passed a resolution, agreed by the US and China, which added new names to the UN sanctions blacklist and tightened restrictions on its financial dealings, notably its “bulk cash” transfers.
North Korea accused the US of using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war and has scrapped the armistice with Washington that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War.
North Korea, which has one major ally, China, threatens the United States and South Korea on an almost daily basis. “Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear war, we will be exercising our right to pre-emptive nuclear attack in order to protect our supreme interest,” the North’s foreign ministry spokesman said.