North Korea pushes back against U.S. sanctions for Sony hack

Regime: New sanctions "harden our will"

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 aren'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.