Tough sanctions for N Korea

The United Nations security council has unanimously passed a resolution that will impose further sanctions on the isolated dictatorship. The sanctions come in response to North Korea's nuclear tests last month in clear violation of previous UN resolutions. The new resolution imposes restrictions on the country's arms exports, financial dealings and gives greater powers to inspect, seize and destroy suspect cargo in ports and on the high seas.

All fifteen council members voted in favour of the resolution, which was tabled by the US, Britain, South Korea, Japan and France. Despite Russia and China's previous reluctance to increase the sanctions against North Korea, they both supported this resolution. US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, expressed concerns that Pyongyang may react "in a fashion that would be further provocation,". The British Deputy Ambassador said that North Korea needed to re-engage with the international community in fresh negotiations and added "We urge North Korea to refrain from any further provocative actions,".

This decision came after the country's second nuclear weapons test on 25 May, followed by a series of short-range missile tests. The North Korean leadership has also declared that the 50 year armistice with the South has come to an end. They also commented that they would respond "mercilessly" to any provocation of war including the use of nuclear weapons.


The resolution says that the security council "condemns in the strongest terms" the North Korean nuclear test and "demands that the DPRK (North Korea) not conduct any further nuclear test or any launch using ballistic missile technology" and added that the country "shall abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and immediately cease all related activities.". North Korea has previously said that it would respond to such measures with "due corresponding self-defense measures" and US intelligence officials expect a further nuclear test in response to the UN's decision.