North Korea slams latest US sanctions as 'act of war'

In this photo provided on November 30 by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile test in North Korea.

North Korea on Sunday slammed the latest US measures against its regime as an "act of war", after US President Donald Trump announced the "heaviest sanctions ever" on the nuclear-armed regime.

The measures, which Washington says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, target more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses.


"Like we have said repeatedly, we would consider any restrictions on us as an act of war, and we will not stop the US if it really has the nerves to confront us in a 'rough' manner," the North's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.