North Korea blasted new U.S. sanctions on the rogue nation in no uncertain terms Thursday, saying the penalties amounted to a "declaration of a war," the AFP reported. That same month, President Obama imposed sanctions on North Korea after it conducted a rocket launch that Washington and allies said incorporated banned ballistic missile technology, Reuters reports. It was the first time North Korean officials were blacklisted by the U.S. over rights violations, such as running the nation's notorious gulag. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Thursday during a visit to Ukraine that North Korean officials at all levels need to know there are consequences for their actions and hopes they "might consider the implications." The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the dictator and 10 other senior officials Wednesday over human rights abuses.

Source: Fox News July 07, 2016 18:11 UTC