SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea warned on Sunday that if the United States continued to escalate its sanctions and human rights campaign against the North, that approach could permanently shatter any chance of denuclearizing the country. Washington is holding fast to its policy of exerting “maximum” economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea, even though President Trump has claimed progress in denuclearizing the North since his meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, in June in Singapore. In the months after the Trump-Kim meeting, Washington has continued to crack down on companies, individuals and ships accused of engaging in such banned activities as money laundering, cyberattacks and ship-to-ship transfer of fuel on North Korea’s behalf. On Sunday, North Korea voiced its growing frustration, as Washington persisted in its efforts to squeeze the country with additional sanctions over its dismal rights record. On Monday the Treasury Department blacklisted three top aides to Mr. Kim over serious rights abuses and censorship.

Source: New York Times December 16, 2018 16:18 UTC