"If anyone tries to put us under pressure, we will have no choice but to take stronger physical measures," Song Il Ho, North Korea's ambassador in charge of diplomatic normalization talks with Japan, told a newspaper in Japan.

He singled out Japan's ban for six months the entry of a ferry that provides a vital economic link for North Korea, Yonhap reported.

"Such (an) anti-humanitarian measure is causing a significant anti-Japanese sentiment among our people," Song was quoted as saying by the pro-Pyongyang Chosun Sinbo newspaper.

Japan was swift to slap sanctions on North Korea Wednesday after Pyongyang launched a volley of missiles in its direction, including a ban on diplomats and charter flights from the reclusive state, as well as barring the ferry. It also requested its citizens not to visit the nation.

Tokyo has also spearheaded efforts to broker a United Nations Security Council resolution imposing multilateral sanctions against North Korea but veto-wielding China and Russia have resisted tough punishment.

Japan strongly protested similar demands to halt the sanctions and threats of "stronger physical actions" made by Song to Japanese reporters on Friday.

On Saturday, the United States and Japan vowed to punish North Korea for the missile tests, refusing to budge for China and Russia.

The United States, however, also reached out to North Korea, saying it was ready to sit down one-on-one if the communist state returned to multinational talks on its nuclear and missile programs.

US envoy Christopher Hill, on a whirlwind tour after the missile launches, called for China to close ranks with Washington after receiving a lukewarm response in Beijing on Friday.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso was more blunt, pledging not to give in to Russia and China.

North Korea Says No Intention To Attack

North Korea's missile launches were not aimed at attacking any nation and sought only to bolster the communist state's defenses in case of US invasion, a regime official was quoted saying Friday.

Choe Myong-Nam, councilor at the North's UN mission in Geneva, told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that Pyongyang would continue to test missiles in light of hostility from the United States and Japan.

"This is not intended to attack anyone. Our position is that we can continue with missile launches. We will continue with missile launches unless the United States and Japan abandon their policy of stifling us," Choe said.

"The United States had tried to attack us in the past but it gave up in the end because of our power. So it is important to build up power," he said in the interview Thursday.

The statement came after North Korea test-fired seven missiles Wednesday including for the first time a Taepodong-2, which is believed to be able to hit Alaska or Hawaii but quickly crashed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

Choe reiterated that the North had the right to nuclear weapons, which it said last year that it possessed.

"From an international point of view, it is unfair to say who can do something and who cannot. The same applies to the possession of nuclear weapons," he said.

He appealed to South Korea, which has been reconciling with its estranged neighbor, to support the missile tests.

"Our missile launches were successful. As people of the same nation, you must be proud and happy," he said.

"If the United States launches a pre-emptive attack, turning the Korean peninsula into a sea of fire, the South Korean side will not gain anything. You should take this to be the crisis the Korean nation faces."

Related Links
-