The nuclear programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was not intended to threaten anyone, as it was a measure for "self-defense," the official Rodong Sinmun said on Wednesday.

The United States is "pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war by massively deploying armed forces in South Korea and its vicinity," the newspaper said in a commentary.

The U.S. was using the DPRK's nuclear test as a pretext for its "invasion of the DPRK," it said, adding that the DPRK would "decisively counter the enemy's confrontation with all-out confrontation."

In a separate commentary, the newspaper said the purpose of the DPRK building up of its military deterrent was to guarantee its security. The DPRK "will not imperil South Korea under any circumstances," it said.

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved wider sanctions against the DPRK over its May 25 nuclear test.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2009)