( CNN ) North Korea lashed out at the United States on Sunday , calling a new set of recently levied economic sanctions repugnant and hostile . `` The policy persistently pursued by the U.S. to stifle ( North Korea ) , groundlessly stirring up bad blood towards it would only harden its will and resolution , '' a statement attributed to North Korea 's Foreign Ministry said . On Friday , the United States hit North Korea with the new sanctions after the FBI said North Korea was behind last month 's computer hack at Sony . The White House said a new executive order targets leaders in North Korea 's government , preventing them from accessing property and entering the United States . The isolated nuclear regime , which has denied involvement in the Sony hack , was already subject to a strict set of U.S. economic restrictions . The FBI has maintained North Korea was behind the broad computer breach at Sony , though some technology experts say others could be involved -- such as former employees of the studio . On Friday , officials said the new set of sanctions was further indication of their confidence in North Korea 's culpability , and said that private tech firms are n't privy to the intelligence proving Pyongyang 's guilt . Obama signed the executive order putting the new sanctions in place on the second-to-last day of his winter vacation in Hawaii . Before his vacation began in mid-December Obama said North Korea was responsible for the attack and the United States was preparing a response . The White House said Friday 's announcement reflected the beginning of that response . RELATED : Obama says North Korea 's hack not war , but 'cybervandalism ' `` The order is not targeted at the people of North Korea , but rather is aimed at the government of North Korea and its activities that threaten the United States and others , '' Obama wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner . The country poses a `` continuing threat to the national security , foreign policy and economy of the United States , '' Obama wrote . Among the agencies targeted by the new sanctions Friday was the Reconnaissance General Bureau , an intelligence agency the United States said was responsible for `` major cyberoperations '' in North Korea . The new sanctions also target officials at North Korea 's Mining Development Trading Corporation , which the United States says is responsible for the country 's arms dealing and weapons export business . Seven officials who represent North Korea 's arms dealing trade in Africa , Iran , Russia and Syria were designated by the U.S. Treasury as subject to the new economic sanctions . U.S. administration officials said the individuals targeted by Friday 's sanctions are not thought to be responsible for the Sony hack . But in exposing their names and positions as North Korean arms dealers , the United States hopes to stymie their business prospects . U.S. officials said they did n't know whether the 10 North Korean officials listed by the Treasury Department held any assets in U.S. institutions . Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the sanctions were meant to `` isolate key North Korean entities and disrupt the activities of close to a dozen critical North Korean operatives . '' `` We will continue to use this broad and powerful tool to expose the activities of North Korean government officials and entities , '' Lew said . RELATED : North Korea lambasts U.S. over 'The Interview , ' says Obama is the 'culprit ' Speaking to CNN late last month , Obama said the United States would respond to the Sony hacking `` proportionately , '' without specifying what actions his government might take to punish Kim Jong Un 's government . White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Friday , `` Today 's actions are the first aspect of our response . '' That seemed to indicate the widespread Internet outages reported in North Korea last month were not a retaliatory response to the Sony hack , though administration officials would not confirm the blackout came at the hands of the United States . `` There are many possible explanations for ( North Korea 's ) Internet outage , including the possibility that they had ended up doing it to themselves , '' one U.S. official said . CNN 's Tina Burnside contributed to this report . Note : An earlier version of this story included a tweet from what was actually a parody account . CNN regrets the error .
The North Korea 's announces new sanctions against North Korea . The sanctions come after a cyberattack against the U.S. Treasury , attributed to U.S. . 10 officials who represent North Korea arms dealing trade are targeted in the sanctions .