North Korea says Obama's push for sanctions laughable

SEOUL: North Korea said on Sunday that the United States' push for sanctions following its fifth nuclear test was "laughable" and the country would continue to strengthen its nuclear power.

"The group of Obama's running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable," state-run KCNA news agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying in a statement.

The United States may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea, a US special envoy for the isolated state said earlier on Sunday, two days after it carried out its fifth and biggest nuclear test in defiance of UN sanctions.

US must recognise North Korea as 'nuclear weapons state'

North Korea demanded Sunday that the United States recognise it as a "legitimate nuclear weapons state" following its fifth and largest atomic test.

"(President Barack) Obama is trying hard to deny the DPRK's (North Korea's) strategic position as a legitimate nuclear weapons state but it is as foolish an act as trying to eclipse the sun with a palm," said a foreign ministry spokesman quoted by the official KNCA news agency.

The spokesman in a statement defended the test, which has been slammed worldwide, as a necessary response to what he termed a US nuclear threat.

The North would work to increase its nuclear force "in quality and in quantity", the statement said.