The statement, carried by the Korea Central News Agency, claims that the actions of President Barack Obama's government were to "openly pursue the objective to politically stifle the DPRK and overthrow its system by all means".

It also accused Mr Obama of "constantly heaping malicious slander and criticism on the DPRK" and said his government pursued an "aggressive and heinous 'strategic suffocation' policy".

The state-run media outlet claimed that the US had attempted to cow North Korea with threats of pre-emptive nuclear attacks, constant and large-scale military manoeuvres and sanctions that have deprived it of the "legitimate right to peaceful development of outer space and its buildup of self-defensive nuclear deterrence".

"The US is running amuck to impose unilateral sanctions", it said, adding that its claims "substantiate the truth that the root cause of escalated tension on the Korean peninsula lies with the US hostile policy and nuclear threats against the DPRK".