Pyongyang, February 24 (KCNA) -- The chief of the External Policy Office of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued on Feb. 23 the following statement "Illegal anti-DPRK sanctions-breeding moves will prompt the DPRK's behavioral counteraction to defend its sovereign right": Recently the U.S. and its followers held a confab called a meeting of the management committee of the "multilateral sanctions monitoring team" in Washington and talked about strengthening the implementation of the UN "sanctions resolutions" to cope with the nuclear and missile "threats" of the DPRK. The "multilateral sanctions monitoring team", which was formed by the states that are only doing harmful things, far from contributing to international peace and security, is nothing but an illegal and criminal ghost group in terms of its name and purpose. We strongly warn that the anachronistic acts of the hostile forces foolishly attempting to block the exercise of the legitimate right of the DPRK, taking issue it for no reason, contrary to the recognized principles of international law regarding respect for sovereignty and non-interference in other's internal affairs as core, can bring about serious adverse effects hard to be coped with by them. The U.S. should know that however it may play diplomatic tricks and blame its servants, it can never bring back the miserable fate of the worn-out sanctions mechanism against the DPRK and that the more it clings to the sanctions tools, the more it feels inconvenience, not us. The DPRK clarifies once again its stand on the issue of sanctions on this opportunity. Sanctions waiver through negotiations is not a matter of concern from long ago for the DPRK which has no sanctions to be canceled and to be added, and it is not on the agenda of the DPRK. The U.S. barbarous sanctions have made the DPRK more perfectly understand the way that it can survive, self-sustain and be strong despite the severest external circumstances and have become a decisive factor in hastening the building of a powerful force that no one can ignore in the first instant. The DPRK will never thirst for a lifting of sanctions, but will never overlook the provocations of the U.S. and its followers to encroach upon the legitimate sovereignty of the DPRK under the pretext of implementing sanctions and strongly counter them with resolute actions. The illegal anti-DPRK sanctions-breeding moves of the hostile forces will prompt the DPRK's behavioral counteraction to defend its sovereign right and they will have to pay a steep price.