North Korea has demanded the immediate return of a cargo ship seized by the US, branding the move an “unlawful robbery”.
Last week the US justice department accused Pyongyang of violating international sanctions by using the vessel for coal shipments.
The ship, the Wise Honest, was first impounded in Indonesia in April 2018.
North Korea said its seizure violated the spirit of the 2018 summit agreement between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
“This act is an extension of the US-style calculation of trying to hold us in submission with its ‘maximum pressure’ and is a total denial of the fundamental spirit of the June 12 DPRK-US joint statement,” its foreign ministry said.
It would be the “biggest miscalculation” if the US believes it can control North Korea with force, the statement added.
This is the first time the US has seized a North Korean ship for breaching sanctions and comes amid worsening relations between the two countries.
