North Korea severely criticizes latest U.S. sanctions as act of war

North Korea on Sunday condemned the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United States, accusing it of trying to undermine an improvement in inter-Korean relations during the Winter Olympics, state media said in a statement.

"The two Koreas have cooperated together and the Olympics was held successfully," the North's KCNA news agency said, citing North Korea's foreign ministry.

"But the U.S. brought the threat of war to the Korean peninsula with large-scale new sanctions on the DPRK ahead of the Olympics closing ceremony," the state news agency said, using the initials of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The measures, which Washington says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, target more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses.

"Like we have said repeatedly, we would consider any restrictions on us as an act of war, and we will not stop the US if it really has the nerves to confront us in a 'rough' manner," the North's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.