North Korea has condemned South Korea for imposing new unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang, calling them a "pipedream," Pyongyang's state media said Monday.

A North Korean committee issued a statement on Sunday in response to Seoul's latest announcement of its punitive measures, including blacklisting more key North Korean officials and entities.

"The 'independent sanctions' announced by the (South Korean President) Park (Geun-hye) group are nothing but a pipedream," said a spokesman at the National Reconciliation Council.

It said that Park and her followers should bear in mind that the unilateral sanctions are nothing more than "malicious fuss" which will only accelerate their miserable end.

South Korea on Friday unveiled its own punitive actions over North Korea's nuclear test in September, just a few days after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a new sanctions resolution.

Seoul's move is aimed at choking off the main sources of the North's hard currency by blacklisting more officials and entities suspected of helping bankroll its nuclear and missile programs.

In March, South Korea slapped its own sanctions in response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in the following month.

Seoul's unification ministry said Monday that the latest UN sanctions would be effective in closing loopholes found in the UNSC's sanctions adopted in March.

"We expect that China will (faithfully implement) the sanctions as it has vowed to do its part as a responsible member of the international community," Jeong Joon-hee, ministry spokesman, said at a regular press briefing.

He also added that Seoul, Washington and Japan's joint efforts to impose unilateral sanctions will also help prod North Korea into giving up its nuclear weapons. (Yonhap)