From the Japan Times:

North Korea's top envoy for normalization talks with Japan said in bilateral discussions earlier this month his country would use a "strong physical response" to economic sanctions by Tokyo, sources said Sunday.

Song Il Ho gave the warning to his Japanese counterpart, Koichi Haraguchi, during informal contacts in the course of the Feb. 4—8 meetings in Beijing, the sources said.

A Japanese delegation source described Song's remarks as an "outright threat that it would lift its freeze on launching ballistic missiles."

North Korea has in the past issued statements saying it would consider the imposition of economic sanctions a declaration of war and would respond immediately, but Japan is reportedly concerned because the remarks this time came during high—level governmental talks.

Brian Schwarz   2 20 06