North Korea on Thursday warned it can acquire intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to counter hostile forces and bolster its self-defense capabilities.

The political review carried by the Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said if "imperialists" have a nuclear arsenal, ICBMs and other types of space-bound weapons, North Korea should have them as well. The North often uses the word "imperialist" to describe the United States.
It said having such strong defensive capabilities can ensure that enemies of the North will feel fear.

The newspaper's review, which best reflects the official policy directions of the communist state, said Pyongyang's nuclear capability is a justifiable choice and will contribute to "true peace" for all of mankind.

The latest announcement comes two days after the North detonated its third nuclear device at its Punggye-ri test complex just before noon Tuesday, despite strong warnings from the international community. The North already launched the long-range

Unha-3 rocket on Dec. 12 that effectively has the range of an ICBM.

Rocket experts said the rocket's range is over 11,000 kilometers.

The direct mention of ICBMs is noteworthy because in the past, the country has steadfastly maintained that its long-range rockets were being built for the peaceful exploration of space and to place satellites into orbit. This claim has been dismissed by most ot the world, which sees the launches as a cover to develop missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.

The newspaper also made clear that the United States must realize that it is up against the most merciless adversary if it challenges the North.

"There can be no compromise in the last fight to herald the victory for independence for humanity and strike a blow to end imperialism," it said.

The party daily, meanwhile, said in an editorial that Pyongyang is not afraid of international sanctions, and that the country and the people will persevere to build a powerful country.

It said if outside anti-DPRK pressure intensifies, the country will respond by continuously escalating its own response to defend its sovereignty and national dignity.

"We have the nuclear deterrence capability to strike at the heart of an aggressor anywhere in the world and annihilate it with one stroke," the Rodong Sinmun stressed.

The latest warning comes as the North issued a string of threats after the world denounced its third nuclear test with the United Nations in the process of discussing what actions it should take to penalize the country for defying the wishes of the international community. Just hours after the North confirmed it carried out a nuclear test using a "smaller and lighter" device, the country's foreign ministry issued a statement that Pyongyang is ready to conduct additional nuclear tests if the need arises.

On Wednesday, the Korean Central News Agency, the isolationist country's official news wire service, said that the situation on the Koran Peninsula has become precarious and claimed that even a small regional incident can lead to full-fledged war. (Yonhap News)