North Korea and the United State’s relationship has been strained in recent months with Kim Jong-un continually threatening to attack the US with his nuclear programme.
An unnamed North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said the the US sanctions are a “manifestation of heinous intention to throw a wet blanket over the inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and to aggravate the situation”.
It also said the United States should stop such “anachronistic” policy towards North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has refused to give up development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States in spite of increasingly severe U.N. sanctions, raising fears of a new war on the Korean peninsula.
The United States announced new sanctions on Wednesday aimed at stopping North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and urged China and Russia to expel North Koreans raising funds for the programs.
The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on nine entities, 16 people and six North Korean ships it accused of helping the weapons programs. It said two China-based trading firms were involved in exporting millions of dollars worth of metals and other goods used in weapons production.
North Korea has violated the UN sanctions by shipping coal to Russia three times.
The UN Security Council banned North Korean exports of coal on August 5 under sanctions intended to cut off an importance source of foreign currency to fund its nuclear weapon and missile programme.
Earlier this month, 29 nations agreed to consider tougher sanctions to press North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has warned Pyongyang it could trigger a military response if it does not choose negotiations.