North Korea's official media accused Tokyo of considering applying economic sanctions against Pyongyang, "single-handed, independent of the United States," according the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) monitored here.

Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the all-powerful Workers Party, said in a commentary Japanese "reactionaries" are contemplating sanctions to pressure Pyongyang on the Cold-War abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.

Japan has been furious about North Korea's refusal to come clean on the kidnappings and its antipathy toward Pyongyang was further fueled in recent weeks by signs of North Korea's preparations for its first nuclear test.

Some members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party have publicly mentioned the possibility of economic sanctions against any North Korean nuclear test.

"The DPRK (North Korea) clearly stated more than once that it would regard any sanctions against it as a declaration of war," Rodong Sinmun said.

"The hostile relations between the two countries are now inching close to the dangerous phase of explosion," the commentary added. "Under this situation the DPRK is left with no option but to take a decisive counter-measure."

"The army and the people of the DPRK value its sovereignty as their life and soul and will never allow anyone to infringe upon it," the party newspaper said.

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