North Korea: US sanction serious provocation, justifies Nuclear development

North Korea Nov 22: North Korea on Wednesday called US President Donald Trump's decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism a "serious provocation" that justifies its development of nuclear weapons.

In the country's first public response to its return to the American blacklist, the official Korean Central News Agency said North Korea has no connection to terrorism and does not care "whether the US puts a cap of 'terrorism' on us or not."

It said the US action shows North Korea should continue to "keep the treasured nuclear sword in our hands more tightly" to protect itself from American hostility.

"By re-listing (North Korea) as a 'state sponsor of terrorism,' the US openly revealed to the whole world its intention to destroy our ideology and system by using all kinds of means and methods," it said.