UN vows to sanction North Korea over latest rocket launch

The UN Security Council strongly condemned North Korea’s rocket launch on Sunday, February 7, and agreed to move quickly to impose new sanctions that will punish Pyongyang for “these dangerous and serious violations.” With backing from China, Pyongyang’s ally, the council again called for “significant measures” during an emergency meeting held after North Korea said it had put a satellite into orbit with a rocket launch. The launch, which violated multiple UN resolutions, was widely seen as an act of open defiance just weeks after Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test. A draft sanctions resolution prepared by Japan, South Korea and the United States has been in negotiations for weeks, but Beijing has been reluctant to back tougher measures that would take aim at North Korea’s already weak economy. China is seen as crucial in sanctions talks. Beijing, a member of the UN Security Council,  can use its veto power to block any UN resolution that would significantly scale up sanctions by, for instance, barring North Korean ships from ports or restricting oil deliveries. Following the launch, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing regretted the launch, and called on all sides to show restraint and resume negotiations with Pyongyang. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin had lodged a formal diplomatic protest with North Korea’s ambassador to Beijing, Ji Jae Ryong, she added. Read more through the links below.

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