North Korea denounces UN sanctions resolution

North Korea on Thursday again denounced a UN Security Council resolution passed in late November on sanctions to further curb its nuclear and missile programmes.

Neither UN sanctions nor independent sanctions can ever work on Pyongyang, which has already become a nuclear and space power, the director of the Department of Treaty and Law of the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state media KCNA.

The director denounced the newly-adopted resolution, saying it "wantonly violates the sovereignty of North Korea without any legality."

"North Korea's legitimate self-defensive measure to defend its dignity and vital rights and protect genuine peace from the ever-more increasing nuclear war threat from the US is the legal right of a sovereign state," said the statement.

Pyongyang has claimed that it has been developing nuclear capability and missile technology only to cope with the growing military threat from Washington and other hostile forces.

On November 30, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions against Pyongyang in response to the country's fifth and the largest nuclear test on September 9. But the Korean country has rejected the resolution and said it was a "violation of North Korea's sovereignty."

The council sets an upper limit on Pyongyang coal exporting, saying the total exports from the country do not exceed $400.9 million, starting on January 1, 2017.

In addition, the Security Council bans the sale of copper, nickel, silver, zinc and statues from the country.

--IANS

ahm/dg