North Korea responds to heavy UN sanctions

The Trump administration called new UN sanctions against North Korea “a kick in the gut.” The UN Security Council voted over the weekend to punish Pyongyang for escalating its nuclear missile programs by banning more than $1 billion worth of coal and other exports—the toughest sanctions against North Korea to date. Even China and Russia, which have hesitated to sanction North Korea in the past, agreed, making the vote unanimous. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the vote was a positive step, but it’s “not going to solve the problem with North Korea. It is going to send a strong message to North Korea. But we all have to be very conscious and realize that this is a dangerous situation. We now have to see where it’s going to go from here.” North Korea responded Monday by vowing to boost its nuclear arsenal and gain revenge of a “thousand-fold” against the United States.