N.Korea pushes for increased production to bypass sanctions

Pyongyang's ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Monday pushed for improved production in various sectors, including agriculture, livestock and fishery, in response to sanctions imposed by the UN.

In an article on the state-run Rodong Sinmun daily, the party said that unlike the US which banks on its military assets, North Korea depends on its natural resources, reports Efe news.

"The US imperialists say ICBMs (inter-continental ballistic missile), strategic bombers and nuclear submarines are their top three strategic assets. But ours are Gold Mountains, Gold Fields and Gold Seas," the article said.

It also criticised the latest international sanctions against the country saying they were designed to deprive the North Korean people of their joy, laughter, dreams and future.

After the latest nuclear test by the country on September 3, the UN Security Council unanimously approved sanctions to cripple North Korea economically, including limits on its imports of petroleum products and banning the export of its textiles.

China, the main trading partner of the isolated Asian country, has apparently tightened the sanctions further, with restrictions on the sale of hydrocarbons and the gradual closing of North Korean businesses on Chinese territory.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said last week in Beijing that China has shared information with the US that indicates that the latest sanctions have further weakened the North Korean economy.

--IANS

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