North Korean leader Kin Jong-un has condemned as “piratical” the international sanctions imposed on his country and promised that the North Korean people will stand united against “enemy forces,” the state-run news agency KCNA reported.
“The larger-than-life campaign to build a seaside tourist district in Wonsan reflects our struggle against enemy forces who are trying to strangle our people with brigandish sanctions and blockades. We are engaged in a mortal fight in defense of our party and for building a happy life for our people,” Kim said during a visit to the Wonsan-Kalma tourist area on the country’s southeastern coast.
Kim also ordered to make sure that the project is completed by the October 10, 2019 celebration of the 74th anniversary of the governing Korean Workers’ Party.
On August 3, the United States submitted proposals for new international sanctions against North Korea to the UN Security Council “aimed to achieve complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea.”
North Korea has faced several rounds of sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, conducted in violation of the Security Council resolutions.
The Security Council responded to this by imposed sanctions on Pyongyang targeting exports of coal, iron ore, lead and seafood from the Asian nation to UN member states.
In December, new sanctions against North Korea were imposed over the country's continuing missile tests.
READ MORE: Kim Reportedly Asked Xi to Help Lifting Sanctions, Seeking China's Support
Tensions around North Korea started to ease after Pyongyang halted nuclear and missile tests earlier this year to focus on economic growth.
Kim Jong-un has had a series of meetings with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, Xi Jinping and Moon Jae-in, as well as US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
