The UN Security Council condemned North Korea’s launching of three ballistic missiles as President Barack Obama called on the world body Tuesday to tighten sanctions and further isolate a nation widely viewed as an global pariah.
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The last UNSC resolution on North Korea, adopted on March 2 – following nearly two months of deliberations – was a response to Pyongyang carrying out a nuclear test in early January, its fourth since 2006.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power urged the council to act to enforce earlier resolutions that prohibit the reclusive Stalinist state from conducting ballistic missile-related activities and impose sanctions.
Park is now visiting Laos to attend a series of meetings for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit (Asean) and met with the leaders of the region to address escalating concerns regarding Pyongyang.
Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said they fell off the northwestern coast of Hokkaido.
“And President Park and I agree that the entire worldwide community needs to implement these sanctions fully and hold North Korea accountable”.
The South Korean leader said, “Unequivocal words and actions by ASEAN member states that have maintained certain relations with North Korea will play a crucial role in making Pyongyang recognize the firm resolve of the worldwide community (to oppose its provocative moves)”.
What action the council takes remains to be seen and a lot depends on China, the North’s neighbor and only major ally, though ties have frayed over the nuclear and missile tests and what many outsiders see as other provocations in recent years.
“We are going to work together to make sure we’re closing loopholes and make them even more effective”, he said.
In the statement, the Council members said they further regretted that North Korea is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles while its citizens have great unmet needs. North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests this year. Thousands of United States troops are stationed in South Korea and Japan.
Their summit came amid the communist state’s unrelenting saber-rattling, including its launch of three mid-range ballistic missiles Monday and a submarine-launched ballistic missile test last month.
North Korea on Thursday strongly criticised the UN Security Council’s condemnation of its latest ballistic missiles test.
Obama said the USA will also increase efforts to stop North Korea gaining access to worldwide currency and technology by tightening loopholes in the current sanctions regime.
The UN Security Council promptly issued a unanimous condemnation, but as we hear from Neal Conan in the Pacific News Minute- the launch presents hard political and military problems.
A missile is launched during a drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea.
North Korea is banned from importing or exporting nuclear or missile items and technology as well as luxury goods.
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In return, the South-Korean president stated that Seoul will adopt a “strong” attitude regarding any challenges coming from North Korea. Regarding the plan to station a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the peninsula, Obama stressed that “it is a purely defensive measure, stressing that Washington’s commitment to the defense of South Korea is unwavering”.
