North Korea has denounced the United Nations on Saturday after the latter urged it to comply with UN restrictions, claiming that the test launches were precautionary measures against the U.S.

Following a number of ballistic missile launches in recent months, the UN Security Council condemned North Korea on Thursday for violating UN council restrictions.

Like Us on Facebook

Eugene Gasana, Rwandan UN Ambassador and July council president, urged North Korea to fully comply with the council resolutions.

In response, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Saturday criticizing the UN and calling its condemnation of Pyongyang "absolutely intolerable."

It claimed that the ballistic missiles were launched in response to increasingly "madcap war maneuvers" by the U.S.

It argued that military measures carried out by the Korean People's Army were exercises to practice its right of self-defense intended to protect the country against U.S. aggression and nuclear threat.

The statement added that Pyongyang would resolve to strengthen its military to defend against bigger powers, saying that the North would only be able to achieve peace when it's strong enough to dissuade forces from threatening it.

Last year, North Korea's National Defense Commission announced plans to continue its nuclear and long-range rocket program, declaring that these were part of its efforts to target the United States, which it described as the "sworn enemy of the Korean people."

The United Nations, U.S. and other countries have levied sanctions against North Korea for its repeated ballistic missile and nuclear test launches since 2006.

Last week, Japan filed a diplomatic protest in Beijing accusing the North of violating U.N. Security Council resolutions when the latter fired two ballistic missiles in waters near its border with the Korean Peninsula.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged Pyongyang on Thursday to work towards developing confidence and building mutual trust with its neighbors.

TagsUN violations, UN security council violations, Nuclear test, UN sanctions, North Korea missile launches