North Korea rejects UN sanctions and vows actions against the US

Fresh sanctions handed down to North Korea by the United Nations have been swiftly denounced by Pyongyang, as it threatened action of its own against the US.

The UN Security Council agreed on imposing the new sanctions in response to the acceleration of the regime’s missile programme.

The resolution will ban North Korean exports and limit investments in the country as tensions rise further between the regime and Western powers.

In a statement via state media on Monday, the regime led by Kim Jong-un said it would not negotiate with the West when it comes to its nuclear programme so long as it was being threatened by the US.

"There is no bigger mistake than the United States believing that its land is safe across the ocean," the statement posted to state news site KCNA added.

The resolution will ban North Korean exports and limit investments towards the country

US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley had said during a Security Council meeting that Washington would continue to conduct joint military exercises in neighbouring South Korea, adding that the problem was growing more dangerous.

"We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. Not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us, it is rapidly growing more dangerous," Haley said.

Following a meeting of a regional security group in Manila on Monday, the US, along with Japan and Australia, urged the international community to strictly implement the new sanctions.

It was estimated that the bans on exports of coal, iron, lead and other North Korean products would subtract as much as $3bn from the country’s annual export revenues.