Beijing has displayed discontent over the launch, as it took place merely three hours after President Xi Jinping wrapped up one-on-one talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou.
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“We want to make sure we’re cutting off all the lifelines that North Korea tries to grab onto”, said Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes.
The U.S. and other nations added bilateral penalties on North Korea.
The United States, he said, would show “unwavering” support for its allies and North Korea’s provocations would only lead to its further isolation.
The Rodong is a scaled-up Scud variant with a maximum range of around 1,300 kilometers, bringing most of Japan within range.
Obama also stressed that the U.S. is committed to a missile-defense system for South Korea to deter the threat of North Korea, the report said.
In a statement after a closed-door meeting, the United Nations body said such activities contribute to North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension.
The hard-work campaign is North Korea’s way of mobilizing people to maximize production in a set period of time. The 15-member Security Council toughened the sanctions in March in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket in February.
Park told reporters that North Korea’s acts were “fundamentally threatening” and that she and Obama had agreed to “respond resolutely” to the defiance of global demands that North Korea end its pursuit of nuclear weapons. “They are explicit. They intend to arm the systems with nuclear weapons”. Diplomats from the North who engaged in “illicit activities” were to be expelled.
The U.N. Security Council strongly on Tuesday condemned North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launches, saying they contributed to Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons capability. The Council also called on UN Member States to report as soon as possible on concrete measures they have taken in order to implement effectively the provisions of resolution 2270.
In early August, North Korea also fired Rodong missiles which traveled about 620 miles, the longest ever flight by that kind of missile.
The notification system will work in several stages: first, the Cabinet Secretariat will inform the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Coast Guard, and the Fisheries Agency of missile launches.
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The press statement urged all United Nations member states “to redouble their efforts” to implement sanctions against Pyongyang, including the toughest measures in two decades imposed by the council in March.
