North Korea's official newspaper said Friday that the country will be ready to survive even 100 years of sanctions by means of self-reliance.
In a stepped-up criticism of the United States-led economic sanctions, the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, accused its "enemies" of enforcing a "murderous" blockade against North Korea as a last resort.
But the North Koreans armed with the spirit of self-reliance and self-sufficiency will overcome the international sanctions even if they would last 10 years or 100 years, the newspaper said in an editorial.
"Our enemies are implementing a murderous blockade as a last resort after their bid to suffocate the DPRK (North Korea) by military power failed," the newspaper said.
"Let them stick to the sanctions for the next 10 years or a hundred years. We'll eventually overcome any sanctions and difficulties to emerge as the world's strongest power and socialist paradise. That's the determination of our people," the paper said.
It then urged the North's people to struggle for self-reliance and economic growth and independently develop state-of-the-art technologies and facilities to incapacitate the sanctions.
The editorial came after a trilateral meeting of North Korea, China and Russia recently called on the United States to ease its economic sanctions on the North in return for Pyongyang's denuclearization measures. (Yonhap)
