North Korea slams U.S. 'nuclear blackmail," pending U.N. sanctions

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- North Korea lashed out against widespread criticism from various countries Saturday after the United Nations confirmed it began working on new sanctions.

The U.N. Security Council began drafting the sanctions immediately following the nuclear test on Friday, but said it could take weeks or months according to the Wall Street Journal.

The U.N. condemned the test and said it demonstrated a "clear violation" as well as a "flagrant disregard of existing council resolutions."

"I count on the security council to remain united and take appropriate action. We must urgently break this accelerating spiral of escalation," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, according to the BBC.

The Telegraph reported North Korean ally China also spoke out against the test and supported the push to have the nation denuclearized.

"We are opposed to testing and we believe that it is more urgent than ever to work together to ensure denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi said. "All sides should refrain from mutual provocation and any action that might exacerbate the situation."

According to Sky News, state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun provided a defiant response to the criticism and accused the U.S. of "nuclear blackmail."

"Gone are the days never to return when the U.S. could make a unilateral nuclear blackmail against the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]," the paper said. "The U.S. is exasperated by the strong military steps being taken by the DPRK in a phased way."

International Business Times reported the country's foreign ministry said U.S. President Barack Obama was "reckless" for calling the tests "provocative." North Korean leaders said Obama's remarks were "nothing but last ditch efforts to dodge criticism" of hostile U.S. policy toward North Korea.

The paper also accused South Korea's leadership of being military gangsters and criticized South Korean President Park Geun-Hye of "groundlessly taking issue with the DPRK over its just measures for bolstering nuclear deterrence for self-defense."