A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed for the first time on Thursday that his country had conducted missile tests on July 5. Pyongyang said the tests were completely unrelated to the stalled six-party diplomatic talks between the country and Russia, Western and Asian powers over its nuclear program and that it was merely intended to strengthen North Korea's ability to defend itself.

"The Korean People's Army will go on with missile launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrent for self-defense in the future, too," the country's official news agency, KCNA, reported the official as saying. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will have no option but to take stronger physical actions of other forms, should any other country dare take issue with the exercises and put pressure upon it."

North Korea is also sharpening its tone against the United Nations. The deputy chief of North Korea's mission to the United Nations, Han Song Ryol, warned the international body that if it imposed sanctions against the rogue state, it would respond with "all-out countermeasures," Japanese broadcaster TBS reported.

On Wednesday (Tuesday in the United States -- due to the position of the International Date Line), Pyongyang launched at least seven missiles, including one long-range rocket, triggering alarm bells in the international community. North Korea is believed to possess a handful of nuclear weapons and many fear it could be on its way to building a missile that could be used for a nuclear strike against the United States and other countries. However, officials in the US and Japan said that all of the missiles launched on Wednesday failed to reach their targets.

Washington has warned the government of Pyongyang that the recent tests will weaken its position in the six-party talks. The parties to the talks, which have been stalled since November, include North Korea, South Korea, Russia, China, Japan and the US.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and US President George W. Bush said their countries were working together to draft a UN resolution that would force countries to stop providing money or supplies that could be used in the country's missile program. However, with Russia and China thought to be against sanctions, it is unlikely that the provision will make it into any final resolution.