The United States is planning sanctions against North Korea in the event that Pyongyang continues to develop nuclear weapons, The New York Times reported Sunday.
The sanctions would include halting shipments of weapons from North Korea and stopping the flow of money Korean residents in Japan send to the North, the newspaper reported.
"The Pentagon and State Department are developing detailed plans for sanctions, and perhaps other actions, so that the United States has a forceful response ready in case North Korea takes aggressive new steps toward developing nuclear weapons," according to the newspaper.
The New York Times quoted a senior official of President George W. Bush's administration as saying: "If they start to dismantle their weapons programs, then we can talk about incentives. But if they torque up the pressure, you're looking at the other direction. That's when sanctions become much more likely."