North Korea's media criticized hostile forces for imposing "most heinous" sanctions on the North on Thursday but emphasized that they could not deter it from realizing economic development.
"The sanctions ruckus being led by hostile forces who don't want us to live well have been the most heinous, persistent and unprecedented in terms of its scale, implementing methods and duration," said Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean external propaganda outlet.
(Yonhap)
"Though hostile forces stick to shameful tactics to stop our powerful advance, that will not work on us," it added. "The final victory will be with us who are moving forward, driven by our self-rehabilitation and power of science and technology."
It emphasized that North Korea has never thought of pushing for its economic development with the help of others and that its "unwavering will" is to build a socialist powerhouse on its soil with its own efforts.
In a front-page editorial, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, also emphasized that the North is moving toward prosperity by crushing a host of challenges posed by hostile forces.
The criticism came as the United States has renewed its stance to keep sanctions on North Korea until it completely gives up its nuclear weapons program.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed that progress in denuclearization talks and inter-Korean relations should go hand in hand, in what appears to be a blunt warning against Seoul seeking unilateral action to bolster cross-border exchanges with the North.
Pyongyang is pushing for sanctions relief from Washington in return for what it sees as substantive denuclearization steps in recent months, but as there are no signs of easing the restrictions, it has stepped up its criticism of Washington.
On Monday, DPRK Today, another North Korean propaganda outlet, blasted the US for sticking to "maximum pressure" in pushing for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, calling it a "medieval-era" tactic that would never work on the North. (Yonhap)
