Seoul
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attacked “hostile forces” over “brigandish” sanctions, state media reported on Friday, as Washington seeks to maintain pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme.

Kim and US President Donald Trump held a groundbreaking summit in Singapore in June, which the US leader touted as a historic breakthrough.

But there has been little movement since and the North has criticised Washington for its “gangster-like” demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.

The US has urged the international community to maintain tough sanctions on the isolated regime, and the US Treasury this week announced measures against Russian and Chinese companies for violations.

But Pyongyang is keen to preserve what it calls a “new era” of relations with the US and Kim stopped short of criticising the country by name.