北韩威胁要对一名被指控非法入境而判处8年劳教的美国公民处以更严厉的刑罚。
戈梅斯曾在韩国担任英语教师，今年1月2在北韩被捕。今年4月被判8年监禁，罚款约70万美元。
官方的朝鲜中央通讯社星期四报道，美国方面要求北韩释放戈麦斯的呼吁，北韩不会考虑，原因是在3月26日韩国军舰被击沉并造成46人死亡之后，华盛顿所采取的有关行动。
一项国际调查认定，韩国天安舰是被北韩鱼雷攻击后沉没的。
平壤驳斥这种指称，说这纯属“捏造”，并扬言如果国际制裁将不惜开战。
North Korea has threatened harsher punishment for a U.S. citizen sentenced to eight years of hard labor on charges of entering the country illegally.
Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a former English teacher in South Korea, was arrested in North Korea in January. He was sentenced in April to eight years in prison and a fine of about $700,000.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday that U.S. calls for Gomes’ release will not be considered because of Washington’s actions following the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship, which killed 46 sailors.
An international investigation concluded that the South Korean frigate Cheonan was attacked by a North Korean torpedo.
Pyongyang rejected the claim as a “fabrication” and threatened war if international sanctions were imposed.