North Korea warned Monday that the United States will suffer the "greatest pain" if it pushes ahead with new tougher UN sanctions over its sixth nuclear test.

Pyongyang's threat comes as the US asked the United Nations Security Council last week to vote on new sanctions Monday in response to the North's most powerful nuclear test.

North Korea's foreign ministry said it will make the US pay a "due price" if Washington goes ahead with the vote on a resolution on harsher sanctions.

"The DPRK is ready and willing to use any form of ultimate means," said the Korean Central News Agency, reporting a ministry statement in English. The DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The forthcoming measures to be taken by the DPRK will cause the US the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history," it said.
 
On Sept. 3, North Korea detonated what it claimed to be a hydrogen bomb that can fit on an intercontinental ballistic missile. In July, the wayward regime fired ICBMs twice.

Pyongyang held off on its threat to launch a salvo of missiles into waters near the US territory of Guam, but it fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan last month.

Media reports said that the US circulated a draft resolution that includes the suspension of oil supplies to the North, export bans on textiles and labor, and asset freezes on leader Kim Jong-un.

But it is not certain how much China and Russia -- veto-wielding permanent members of the UNSC -- will cooperate in Washington's efforts to slap the toughest sanctions to date on Pyongyang.

"North Korea seems to try to build the case for additional provocations ahead of the UNSC's move," Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman at Seoul's unification ministry, told a regular press briefing.

North Korea skipped its provocative acts last Saturday, the 69th anniversary of the regime's establishment. Instead, it hailed the latest nuclear test as a "great victory at a celebration banquet.

The Ministry of Unification said that Pyongyang appeared to focus on bolstering internal solidarity and expressing its will to develop its nuclear force.

Seoul's spy agency said last week that the North could fire an ICBM on a standard trajectory toward the Pacific Ocean around its key anniversary. On Oct. 10, North Korea marks the founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

Baik said that Seoul plans to consider whether to impose fresh unilateral sanctions against the North after taking into account the UN move. (Yonhap)