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.
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The statements by Obama and other world leaders come as North Korea fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast Monday, seen as a provocation and show of force that was carefully timed to irk world leaders visiting the region for the Group of 20 economic summit in China and the ASEAN meeting in Laos.
Pyongyang has conducted a fourth nuclear test and a series of missile tests this year in defiance of United Nations sanctions, prompting South Korea to announce plans to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system to counter such threats.
Kim supervised a drill by units “tasked to strike the bases of the USA imperialist aggressor forces in the Pacific operational theatre in a contingency”, KCNA news agency of Pyongyang said.
Following the urgent closed-door meeting, some council members expressed interest in taking further action against Pyongyang, which is already subject to five United Nations sanctions resolutions.
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 global community (to oppose its provocative moves)”.
Last month, North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile from the northeastern port of Sinpo that far exceeded the range of the country’s previous sub-launched missiles.
While no statement was yet issued by the UNSC following the meeting, the Ambassadors to the United Nations from the U.S., South Korea and Japan, emerged to make statements before the press.
The United States and Japan lodged a protest against Monday’s test-firing and requested a meeting of the UN Security Council in NY.
(Stand-up) “Experts say North Korea will continue to enhance its missiles and nuclear weapons as the only negotiating tools the regime has to prolong its survival”.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks though binoculars at the site of a ballistic missile launching at an undisclosed location in North Korea. This news story is related to Print/148399-North-Korea-missile-tests-deepen-isolation-Obama/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne.
The UN and the West have imposed a raft of sanctions on North Korea, prompting Pyongyang to step up its nuclear activities.
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The two condemned North Korea’s actions, reiterated their commitment to the U.S. -ROK alliance, and urged a full implementation of current UNSC measures against the DPRK.
