North Korea has denounced a new set of sanctions imposed by the United States in an attempt to stem Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
Ri Tong Il, a North Korean official, said on Thursday that the sanctions, announced a day earlier by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, represented a "clear expression of intensified hostility".
"If the US is truly interested in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, it must take the lead in creating an atmosphere [for dialogue] rather than hurting such an atmosphere by ... imposing sanctions," Ri said on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Hanoi.
Ri, a member of the North Korean delegation at the Asean forum, made the comments as Clinton arrived in the Vietnamese capital to attend the regional conference.
Clinton was expected to discuss the North Korean issue further during talks with ministers at the forum.
She was due to meet Yang Jiechi, her Chinese counterpart, on Thursday to urge Beijing to put more pressure on the North over its nuclear programme.
Nuclear weapons ambitions
Clinton had announced the new measures against Pyongyang during a visit to South Korea on Wednesday.
She said the sanctions were designed to stamp out illegal money-making ventures used to fund North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
The sanctions would be aimed at the sale or procurement of arms and related goods as well as the procurement of luxury items.
Clinton also used her visit to urge North Korea to accept responsibility for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which left 46 sailors dead.
The US has announced a series of joint military exercises aimed at deterring the North from any future attack.
Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, and his South Korean counterpart Kim Tae-Young said the drills off the Korean peninsula's western coast were designed "to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behaviour must stop".
However, Ri on Thursday criticised the planned naval drills, saying the military exercises pose a major threat to global peace.
"The decision to hold military drills is a major danger for the security of the region," he said.
"Such movements pose a great threat not only to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula but also to global peace and security."
The US has sent the 97,000-tonne aircraft carrier USS George Washington to take part in the drill set to begin on Sunday in the Sea of Japan.
The exercises will involve about 20 ships and 200 fixed-wing aircraft, according to military officials.
The drills are the first overt military response to the sinking of the Cheonan, and underscore US support for Seoul.
The North has denied it is responsible for the incident and a United Nations Security Council statement condemning the sinking did not name North Korea as the culprit, apparently after Chinese pressure.
Ri Tong Il, a North Korean official, said on Thursday that the sanctions, announced a day earlier by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, represented a "clear expression of intensified hostility".
"If the US is truly interested in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, it must take the lead in creating an atmosphere [for dialogue] rather than hurting such an atmosphere by ... imposing sanctions," Ri said on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Hanoi.
Ri, a member of the North Korean delegation at the Asean forum, made the comments as Clinton arrived in the Vietnamese capital to attend the regional conference.
Clinton was expected to discuss the North Korean issue further during talks with ministers at the forum.
She was due to meet Yang Jiechi, her Chinese counterpart, on Thursday to urge Beijing to put more pressure on the North over its nuclear programme.
Nuclear weapons ambitions
Clinton had announced the new measures against Pyongyang during a visit to South Korea on Wednesday.
She said the sanctions were designed to stamp out illegal money-making ventures used to fund North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
The sanctions would be aimed at the sale or procurement of arms and related goods as well as the procurement of luxury items.
Clinton also used her visit to urge North Korea to accept responsibility for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which left 46 sailors dead.
The US has announced a series of joint military exercises aimed at deterring the North from any future attack.
Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, and his South Korean counterpart Kim Tae-Young said the drills off the Korean peninsula's western coast were designed "to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behaviour must stop".
However, Ri on Thursday criticised the planned naval drills, saying the military exercises pose a major threat to global peace.
"The decision to hold military drills is a major danger for the security of the region," he said.
"Such movements pose a great threat not only to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula but also to global peace and security."
The US has sent the 97,000-tonne aircraft carrier USS George Washington to take part in the drill set to begin on Sunday in the Sea of Japan.
The exercises will involve about 20 ships and 200 fixed-wing aircraft, according to military officials.
The drills are the first overt military response to the sinking of the Cheonan, and underscore US support for Seoul.
The North has denied it is responsible for the incident and a United Nations Security Council statement condemning the sinking did not name North Korea as the culprit, apparently after Chinese pressure.
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