Following a recent celebration of its anniversary, North Korea issued a stern warning against the United States for railing against its increasingly volatile missile tests and rhetoric. For despite Dennis Rodman’s advice, Nikki Haley — the former South Carolina governor turned American ambassador to the United Nations — has called for a Security Council resolution against Pyongyang. The group’s vote regarding the matter is slated for Monday, and with Reuters indicating that Russia and China have warmed to approving “watered-down” sanctions, North Korea isn’t happy.
“The DPRK is ready and willing to use any form of ultimate means,” North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said of the U.S.’s “illegal and unlawful ‘resolution'” in a statement. “The forthcoming measures to be taken by the DPRK will cause the U.S. the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history.” The country’s official comments went on to threaten the U.S. further, saying the country would pay a “due price” for its actions on Monday.
On the one hand, Pyongyang’s latest warning differs only in word choice from previous, repeated threats about “gift packages” for the U.S. mainland. On the other hand, the U.S.-drafted resolution that originally called for an oil embargo against the country was amended to appease Russia and China, both of which maintain veto powers on the Security Council. As a result, Reuters and CNN suggest the two countries who typically err against pursuing severe diplomatic punishments against North Korea may support the new resolution. Hence why the country’s new threat of “pain and suffering” seems all the more desperate.