A senior North Korean military leader warned Saturday that the communist regime will deal sternly with any U.S. moves to step up sanctions on it for its refusal to scrap a nuclear arms program, the North's main TV station reported.
"Refusing to lift its sanctions at this week's meeting, the U.S. insisted on our unilateral disarmament," the (North) Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station quoted Kim Young-chun, chief of the General Staff of the (North Korean) People's Army, as saying.
After a 13-month hiatus, North Korea, the U.S., South Korea, China, Japan and Russia held the latest round of six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program in Beijing Monday through Friday, but they failed to make any breakthroughs.
"If the U.S. continues to beef up its sanctions, we will respond to such a move with tougher actions," Kim told a conference marking the 15th anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's inauguration as supreme commander of the North Korean People's Army.
In September last year, the U.S. blacklisted the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, accusing it of helping launder money for North Korea and freezing about US$24 million in North Korean accounts at the bank.
North Korea has denied any wrongdoing and demanded the U.S. financial sanctions be lifted before it considers discussing its nuclear disarmament.
On Sept. 19 last year, the six nations adopted a statement in which North Korea agreed in principle to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.
Seoul, Dec. 23 (Yonhap News)
N. Korean army chief of staff warns against further U.S. sanctions |
