North Korea outraged by US sanctions

North Korea is outraged by the introduction of new US sanctions in connection with charges of hacking computers company sony pictures.

State television of the DPRK quoted the spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry, calling the sanctions "hostile and repressive." The statement also noted that the sanctions “will only strengthen Pyongyang’s desire to protect the sovereignty of their country.”

US President Barack Obama on Friday signed a decree on sanctions imposed on the three organizations and ten people. A White House spokesman called the sanctions the first step to punish the DPRK for numerous provocations, including cyber attacks.

According to a statement by the US Treasury Department, measures are tightening the sanctions imposed earlier: they cut off certain people’s access to the US financial system, and also prohibit US citizens from having any kind of relationship with North Korea.

Among the organizations that fell under the sanctions are the DPRK Intelligence Agency, Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, known as KOMID, which is engaged in weapons and military equipment, and the Korea Tangun Trading Corporation, a research and development agency. The ten people who fell under the sanctions are directly connected with one of the three organizations or with the government of the DPRK.

In mid-December, Obama promised to give a "proportional response" to the hacker attack of SONY computers on the eve of the premiere of the comedy "Interview", which focuses on the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by two journalists from the United States.

Previously, US sanctions were imposed in connection with the DPRK nuclear program. First US imposed sanctions in response to cyber attack, writes Voice of America.