North Korea Vows Strong Countermeasures against US Pressure

"It’s a big miscalculation of the US to claim that it has all options and tries to frighten us by unprecedented aggressive sanctions and pressure, and turn our course back," Kim Yong-jae said, TASS reported.

"We will respond to barbaric attempts to exert pressure by the US by our strong countermeasures," Kim Yong-jae said.

Kim Yong-jae accused the United States and its "satellites" of mounting a hostile campaign against Pyongyang.

"At the moment, in connection with a successful test of the hydrogen bomb for arming the inter-continental ballistic missiles the United States and its satellite countries are mounting a campaign of condemnation and tighter sanctions against our republic," he said.

The US should keep in mind North Korea’s nuclear status, said Kim Yong-jae. He added that Washington was unable to intimidate Pyongyang with sanctions.

"Washington’s statements about having choice options, as well as attempts to use unprecedented aggressive sanctions and pressure to intimidate us and make us reverse our course, are a huge mistake," he said. "The United Staten should by all means keep in mind the nuclear status of our country, who owns nuclear and hydrogen bombs, and intercontinental ballistic missiles," the North Korean minister added.

On September 3 North Korea declared it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that might be used as a warhead for an inter-continental ballistic missile. A harsh response from the international community followed. China and South Korea criticized Pyongyang. The United States did not rule out military retaliation. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has urged all parties concerned to immediately resume a dialogue and negotiations as the sole possible means of achieving a comprehensive settlement of the Korean Peninsula’s problems.

North Korea’s delegation arrived in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok to take part in the Eastern Economic Forum on September 6-7.