Pyongyang: North Korea on Thursday condemned the latest US sanctions imposed on it for alleged money laundering related to cybercrime and vowed to retaliate in kind. North Korea’s reaction came after the United States announced on Tuesday that it had imposed sanctions on eight individuals and two entities from North Korea for their involvement in laundering stolen money through illicit cyber activities.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the sanctions were announced as US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to revive stalled diplomacy with Pyongyang. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Un-chol, who is responsible for US affairs, stated that the latest sanctions underscore Washington’s hostile policy towards North Korea.

The statement, carried by North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, emphasized that as long as the current US administration maintains its hostile stance toward North Korea, the country will respond patiently and in a similar manner. The North Korean official criticized the United States for its ‘malicious nature’ and warned that Washington’s tactics of pressure, appeasement, and threats would not succeed.

The US sanctions were imposed at a time when North Korea has not yet responded to Trump’s proposal to meet with Kim Jong-un during Trump’s recent visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.