North Koreavowed to unleash “thousands-fold” revenge on the United States in response to sweeping sanctions against the nuclear-armed regime.

Pyongyang also promised to continue its military build-up, despite the harsh package of restrictions on the North Korean economy that were agreed by the UN on Saturday.

The warning came after US president Donald Trump said he was “very happy and impressed” by the unanimous approval at the UN for the sanctions.

Mr Trump expressed his satisfaction in a Tweet after he spoke with the president of South Korea about the “grave and growing” threat of North Korea, the White House said.