Typical of its hostile policy is that U.S. President Obama slapped "high-profile additional sanctions" against major institutions and bodies and individuals of the DPRK from the outset of the new year and issued a "presidential administrative order" for enforcing them.

As regards the historic measures declared by the DPRK for improving the inter-Korean ties and creating a peaceful environment on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. authorities have already begun talking rubbish, blustering that the U.S. should not react to them with payment of excessive expenses. They are openly revealing their ulterior intention, asserting that the relations should be improved on the premise that the north shall make a sincere change in its attitude towards the denuclearization.

The Policy Department of the NDC of the DPRK in its statement on Jan. 7 notifies the Obama Administration of its following principled stand as it is pushing the DPRK-U.S. relations to the worst phase of confrontation from the outset of the year:

Firstly, the U.S. should lift all unreasonable "sanctions" against the DPRK in all fields.

We have taken this stand because all "sanctions" the U.S. has imposed against the DPRK so far are based on the inveterate hostility and repugnancy towards it and Washington's hostile policy towards it. This is also because "sanctions" were invented under absurd pretexts and conditions.

The U.S. should know that such tragicomedy as issuing the above-said order over the case without any sure ground would only bring bitterer disgrace and shame to it.

Secondly, the U.S., availing itself of this opportunity, should make a bold decision to unconditionally stop all reckless hostile acts of creating the danger of war on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. should properly know that its attempt to infringe upon the sovereignty of the DPRK and bring down its dignified social system by force of arms will never come true.

The U.S. should make a bold decision to stop all hostile actions, if it does not want to follow in the footsteps of preceding U.S. warmongers who confessed after drinking a bitter cup of defeat that they fought a wrong war against a wrong rival at a wrong time and in a wrong place.

Thirdly, the U.S. should not forget even a moment that the army and people of the DPRK have already launched the toughest counteraction.

We have already declared the toughest counteraction against the outrageous hostile acts the U.S. has perpetrated against the DPRK.

The U.S. took part in wars of aggression, big and small, including two world wars. But it has never experienced a hail of bullets and shells on its own territory.

The U.S. should roll back its hostile policy towards the DPRK of its own accord if it does not want to suffer a war disaster.

One is bound to go to ruin if one fails to understand one's rival and one's own position.

We will closely follow the U.S. policy switchover.