UN Security Council calls for end to Pyongyang's nuclear, missile programs

The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to impose new and tougher sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and council members called for an end to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program and early resumption of the Six-Party Talks.

The new resolution was intended to curb the DPRK's efforts to further develop its nuclear and missile programs. The previous council resolutions prohibit Pyongyang from nuclear tests and using missile technology for rocket launches.

"The sanctions are not the objective itself," Ambassador Liu Jieyi of China said when he was taking the floor at the council meeting after the vote.

On Jan. 6 this year, the DPRK, in defiance of universal opposition of the international community, once again conducted a nuclear test and on Feb. 7 used ballistic missile technology to launch a satellite, in a series of violations of relevant resolutions of the Security Council, Liu noted.

"China has expressed its explicit opposition to these acts," he added. "China has always insisted on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, insisted on the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula, and insisted on resolving problems through dialogue and consultations."

Like many others, Liu urged Pyongyang to rejoin the Six-Party Talks, which involve South Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.

The Six-Party Talks were launched in 2003 but were stalled in December 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in April 2009.

"Currently, the situation on the Korean peninsula is highly complex and sensitive which makes it all the more necessary for us to keep calm and use diplomatic wisdom," he said.

"China hopes that parties concerned will meet China halfway, always bear in mind the overall need of maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, make determined efforts to dispel the dark cloud of war, pour out wisdom and actively seek common understanding, and work together for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the Chinese envoy said.

For her part, Ambassador Samantha Power of the United States said that "the DPRK's obsessive pursuit of weapons of mass destruction not only causes profound suffering for the people of North Korea, but also poses an extraordinary and growing threat to peace and security in the peninsula, the region, and the world."

"The United States would like to recognize the leadership of China, which has worked closely with us," she said. "Beyond the council, it is worth noting the unanimity among, and leadership by, the countries in the region, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea."

Meanwhile, Ambassador Oh Joon of South Korea asked in his mother tongue Pyongyang to stop the nuclear and missile programs. He also thanked China and the United States for their initiatives for the draft resolution.

Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa of Japan said his nation welcomed the resolution. "We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the United States for taking the lead," he said. "Our appreciation also goes to China for their efforts."

"Sanctions are important tools to finding a comprehensive solution to a problem, and to this end, there has to be dialogue. In order for the dialogue to be effective, there has to be pressure at the same time," the Tokyo envoy said. "This is the very reason why we now have this robust resolution."

"The sanctions envisioned are quite harsh. However, the document does leave open the possibility for the DPRK to return to the Six-Party process, which should be urgently restarted," the Tokyo envoy said.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said, "By shutting down as much as possible of financing of DPRK's ballistic missile programs the idea is to return to the table of negotiations for all the interested parties."

"Russia is very seriously worried that negative trends in Northeast Asia have been developing," he said. "We are concerned about attempts to use the actions of Pyongyang as a justification to increase the military capabilities of the region including offensive weapons and the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system," of the United States in South Korea.

"The resolution adopted today should not be used to choke off the North Korea economy," the Moscow envoy said. "In this connection we are concerned about the hasty introduction, even before today's resolution was adopted, the adoption of unilateral sanction against the DPRK.

"All this could have very negative humanitarian consequences for the many millions of inhabitants of the DPRK especially those who are most vulnerable," he said, adding a plea that international humanitarian organizations be allowed to operate in DPRK.