North Korea Calls US Sanctions of Kim Jong Un for Human Rights Violations a Declaration of War

— -- North Korea has called the latest U.S. sanctions targeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other top officials for human rights violations "a declaration of war" because they "crossed a red line."

The tough response to the sanctions came in a statement from the North Korean Foreign Ministry posted by the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's official state news agency.

"The U.S. dared challenge the dignity of the DPRK supreme leadership, an act reminiscent of a new-born puppy knowing no fear of a tiger," said the statement. "This is the worst hostility and an open declaration of war against the DPRK as it has gone far beyond the confrontation over the "human rights issue."

"Now that the U.S. has passed over the "red line" in the overall showdown with the DPRK by perpetrating such thrice-cursed crime, the DPRK came to have the legitimate rights to take all necessary countermeasures," the statement continued.

The Ministry demanded that "the U.S. should immediately and unconditionally retract the recent step for sanctions which dared hurt the dignity of the DPRK supreme leadership." And it said that all diplomatic channels between the U.S. and North Korea would be "cut off at once in case the U.S. refuses to accept our demand."

On Wednesday, the State Department issued sanctions targeting Kim Jong-un and 22 other top officials for human rights violations detailed in a report mandated by Congress.

Individual North Korean leaders have been targeted before for the country's nuclear weapons program, but the new sanctions marked the first sanctions against individuals specifically for human rights abuses.

"The government continues to commit extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced labor, and torture," said John Kirby,the State Department spokesman. "Many of these abuses are committed in the political prison camps, where an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, including children and family members of the accused."

A senior Administration official acknowledged that the sanctions, which freeze the assets of 23 total North Koreans including those newly added, was symbolic but could also have a practical effect.

"Simply lifting the anonymity of these functionaries may make them think twice from time to time when they consider a particular act of cruelty or repression," said the official.

The tough rhetoric from North Korea in response to the sanctions is in line with other provocative language and actions this year.

In January, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test, followed up in February with the launch of a ballistic missile that successfully placed a satellite in orbit. Both events were in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions barring North Korea from engaging in nuclear and ballistic missile activity.

Over the last two months, North Korea conducted five failed tests of its new intermediate range Musudan ballistic missile before succeeding on the sixth launch. The mobile-launched missile could eventually have the capability of reaching the American territory of Guam.