He said:

The DPRK's first H-bomb test is a self-defensive measure for firmly defending the country's sovereignty and national right to existence from the hostile forces' daily-increasing nuclear threat and blackmail from A to Z and its successful launch of earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 was a sovereign state's legitimate exercise of the right to use space for peaceful purposes.

This being a hard reality, the Japanese authorities decided to slap before any others sanctions against the DPRK independent of the UN sanctions under the pretext of the DPRK's H-bomb test and satellite launch.

We strongly denounce the Japanese authorities' sanctions, regarding them as unreasonable acts of pushing the DPRK-Japan relations to a catastrophe and trampling down the legitimate activities of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan and rights of the Koreans in Japan.

We strongly urge the Japanese authorities to pay a due attention to the wishes of the peoples of the two countries and international public for improving good neighborly relations between the DPRK and Japan and immediately lift all their sanctions against the DPRK.