Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 6 November 2025 strongly condemned a fresh round of sanctions imposed by the United States, calling them proof of a hostile U.S. stance and promising unspecified but “appropriate” counter-measures. The remarks were issued by Kim Un‑chol, the DPRK’s Vice Foreign Minister for U.S. affairs.
The new sanctions, announced by the U.S. Treasury Department, targeted eight individuals and two entities accused of laundering digital assets to support North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. The measures followed official claims that the DPRK has stolen more than US$3 billion in digital assets over the past three years.
In his statement, Kim Un-chol said: “Now that the present U.S. administration has clarified its stand to be hostile towards the DPRK to the last, we will also take proper measures to counter it with patience for any length of time.” He asserted that no number of sanctions would alter the “present strategic situation” between the two countries.
Pyongyang added that the sanctions confirm the U.S.’s “wicked nature” and that pressure tactics and blackmail will never force a change in its strategic orientations. It called the American approach a failed script that won’t break the North’s resolve.
The latest diplomatic flare-up comes amid stalled nuclear negotiations and heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Analysts note that the North’s hardened language may signal further diplomatic isolation and a continued push for autonomy in its military and nuclear ambitions.
