Kim Jong-un’s words have come as the UN Security Council passed tougher sanctions against North Korea last month following its test of an intercontinental ballistic missile on November 29.
The sanctions are expected to cut North Korea’s foreign currency revenue from exports by approximately £185million ($250million) a year.
Kim Jong-un said: “Thanks to the foundation of self-supporting national economy scientific and technical forces trained with our own efforts and their clear heads, there are no difficulties insurmountable for us despite the enemies’ sanctions of 10 years, or for 100 years.”
Kim before has boasted that his missiles can reach most US cities, which could potentially result in millions of deaths if he ever ordered a weapons launch.
However, one expert has also warned that North Korea is using its talks with South Korea as “respite” from the relentless sanctions imposed on it by the UN.
Daniel Sneider of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Centre has warned that North Korea’s talks with South Korea are a “very clever” tactical decision by Kim Jong-un.
Speaking to CNBC, he said: “This is all about, I think, a very clever tactical decision on the part of Kim Jong-un to open the door to these North South talks.
“The South Korean government, Moon Jae-in, has been trying since he came to power last year to open up this kind of dialogue.
“The North Korean’s have said no and they turned around and opened the door.”
He added that North Korea was using the talks to gain “leverage” and lessen the sanctions against them, something US President Donald Trump has warned about.
Sneider said: “I think partly because, correctly, the US president actually said this – They were under a lot of pressure from sanctions and they see the South as a way of maybe gaining some leverage to lessen that kind of pressure.
“But all because it make sense right now for them.
“They need a little respite and these things play really well politically in South Korea as well so from every point of view it made a lot of sense from Pyongyang.”
In his new year address, dictator Kim Jong-un called for economic self-reliance and independence because of the toughened sanctions.