VIENTIANE, Laos-President Barack Obama said the USA would work to intensify United Nations sanctions on North Korea in response to Pyongyang’s firing of three ballistic missiles on Monday.
Advertisement
Ms. Park said she and Mr. Obama agreed to maintain “a strong deterrence structure” and that world powers would respond to North Korea’s actions “by utilizing all means”.
China elevated the issue on Monday, with President Xi Jinping expressing China’s opposition directly in a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye.
“The members of the Security Council deplore all Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ballistic missile activities, including these launches”, the United Nations body said in a statement, using North Korea’s official name.
According to South Korea’s military, the missiles were fired from areas around Hwangju county, in North Hwanghae province, toward the Sea of Japan.
In its declaration, the United Nations also urged all countries to “redouble their efforts” to ensure that the existing sanctions against North Korea are fully implemented and warned of the possibility of fresh sanctions against Pyongyang. Obama and other heads of state gathered in China over the weekend for the Group of 20 economic summit.
North Korea says it will not abandon its nuclear “deterrence” unless Washington ends its hostile policy toward Pyongyang and dissolves the US-led command in South Korea.
“These launches are in grave violation of the DPRK’s worldwide obligations and UN Security Council resolutions”, the 15-member Council had said in a unanimously-adopted statement, threatening to take “further significant measures” against Pyongyang.
The White House noted the USA remains committed to moving ahead with the planned deployment of a major anti-missile system in South Korea.
“We have over many years seen North Korea try to find ways to evade sanctions, try to find ways to access foreign currency, try to find ways to access sensitive technologies using front-companies for their activities”. North Korea and Iran co-operate closely on missile development.
Advertisement
The council gave no indication of what “further significant measures” it might take if North Korea continues conducting tests and trying to enhance its nuclear capabilities.
