North Korea said Thursday that sanctions imposed by the United States are a major tool used by the superpower to carry out its aggression-oriented foreign policy.

A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry made the claim, saying that officials of the U.S. administration, including the Treasury Department, have suggested implementing a "sanctions doctrine" to ratchet up pressure against other countries.

In an answer to questions raised by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the unidentified spokesperson said the U.S. has come out with new means to fuel tensions.

"Throughout history, the U.S. has regarded sanctions as a major means for pursuing its foreign policy and deliberately wielded this stick against countries and people disobedient to its definition of international law, thereby inflicting untold pain and misfortune upon them," the ministry spokesperson told the KCNA.

Then the spokesman said the "sanctions doctrine" advocated by the U.S. is evil, and a high-handed and arbitrary practice. The official then elaborated on all the problems facing the United States socially.

"The gap between the rich and the poor is widening and the social inequality and conflict are festering with each passing day and people are suffering from unemployment and economic difficulty," the spokesperson claimed. "Moreover, innocent people fall victim to shooting sprees for the mere reason that they hurt one's feelings. This is a daily occurrence in the U.S."      

Claiming that the U.S. sanctions have become a root cause of unreasonable pressure, inequality, tensions and stand-offs in international relations, the spokesperson insisted that countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America hit by the U.S.' sanctions stick should work to end such one-sided policy measures from being implemented. (Yonhap)