Security Council OKs North Resolution

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution condemning North Korea’s missile launches.

It has been 56 years since the Security Council had adopted a resolution to sanction North Korea shortly after the Korean War. It did draft a resolution in 1993 when the communist country decided to withdraw from Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, but the resolution called for no more than North Korea’s return to the Treaty.

The U.N. Security Council on Saturday (early Sunday morning Korea time) held a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York and unanimously adopted a resolution. The resolution condemns North Korea for firing missiles and bans transfer of products, technology, and financial resources to help the country with its missile or other weapons of mass destruction programs.

The resolution demands that all UN member countries monitor North Korea by their domestic laws and the international law, and also requires them to prevent missiles or missile-related items, materials and technology from going to North Korea`s WMD programs.

It also demands that Pyongyang suspend its ballistic missile activities and abide by the moratorium on missile tests. Other requirements include Pyongyang’s unconditional return to the 6-party nuclear negotiations, abandonment of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and return to the NPT and the IAEA Safety Standards.