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North
Korea said on Monday it had told the United States it will cut the only
channel of communication between them, at the United Nations in New
York, after Washington blacklisted leader Kim Jong Un last week for
human rights abuses.
All
matters related to the United States, including the handling of U.S.
citizens detained by Pyongyang, will be conducted under its “wartime
law,” its official KCNA news agency said.
matters related to the United States, including the handling of U.S.
citizens detained by Pyongyang, will be conducted under its “wartime
law,” its official KCNA news agency said.
The
move was the latest escalation of tension with the isolated
nuclear-armed country, which earlier on Monday threatened a “physical
response” after the United States and South Korea said they would deploy
the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea.
move was the latest escalation of tension with the isolated
nuclear-armed country, which earlier on Monday threatened a “physical
response” after the United States and South Korea said they would deploy
the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea.
North
Korea said last week it was planning its toughest response to what it
deemed a U.S. “declaration of war” after Washington announced sanctions
on Kim Jong Un.
Korea said last week it was planning its toughest response to what it
deemed a U.S. “declaration of war” after Washington announced sanctions
on Kim Jong Un.
A
U.S.-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said on Monday
that satellite images from July 7, a day after the sanctions
announcement, showed a high level of activity at North Korea’s nuclear
test site, but it is unclear whether this was for maintenance or
preparation for a fifth nuclear test.
U.S.-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said on Monday
that satellite images from July 7, a day after the sanctions
announcement, showed a high level of activity at North Korea’s nuclear
test site, but it is unclear whether this was for maintenance or
preparation for a fifth nuclear test.
“As
the United States will not accept our demand for the immediate
withdrawal of the sanctions measure, we will be taking corresponding
actions in steps,” KCNA said on Monday.
“As
the first step, we have notified that the New York contact channel that
has been the only existing channel of contact will be completely
severed,” it said.
“The
Republic will handle all matters arising between us and the United
States from now on under our wartime laws, and the matters of Americans
detained are no exception to this.”
U.S.
State Department spokesman John Kirby declined to comment specifically
on the North Korean statement but said such rhetoric “obviously is not
doing anything to ease tensions.”
State Department spokesman John Kirby declined to comment specifically
on the North Korean statement but said such rhetoric “obviously is not
doing anything to ease tensions.”
Two
Americans are currently known to be detained in North Korea. Otto
Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced in March to 15
years of hard labor for trying to steal an item with a propaganda
slogan and Korean-American Kim Dong Chul is serving a 10-year sentence
for espionage, according to North Korean state media.
Americans are currently known to be detained in North Korea. Otto
Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced in March to 15
years of hard labor for trying to steal an item with a propaganda
slogan and Korean-American Kim Dong Chul is serving a 10-year sentence
for espionage, according to North Korean state media.
Kirby
repeated a call for North Korea to release the Americans from “improper
and unjust detention” and stressed the need for it to adhere to its
Vienna Convention commitment to allow consular access.
North Korea has previously indicated that wartime laws would mean detainees will not be released on humanitarian grounds.
