North Korea rejects UN sanctions, vows to strengthen nuclear deterrent

North Korea on Friday rejected the UN Security Council's tough sanctions targeting the communist state as "unfair, illicit and immoral" and vowed to keep building its nuclear arsenal.

"The strengthening of our nuclear deterrent is a legitimate exercise of our right to self-defence, which will continue as long as the hostile US policy is in place," the foreign ministry said in a statement published by state media.