North Korea says U.S. sanctions are 'laughable' and 'meaningless'

The North Korean government on Sunday called American threats of additional sanctions in response to its nuclear ambitions "laughable" and "meaningless."

"As we've made clear, measures to strengthen the national nuclear power in quality and quantity will continue to protect our dignity and right to live from augmented threats of nuclear war from the United States," said a statement from a foreign policy official in state-run North Korean media.

The isolated country also likened itself to the sun and America to a leaf, demanding formal recognition as "a legitimate nuclear weapons state." The United States' "'strategic patience' policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out" of the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang added, referencing long-term plans to draw down the U.S. military presence in South Korea.

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