UN Council condemns North Korea missile tests

United Nations, Sep 6 (AFP) The UN Security Council todayissued a strong condemnation of North Korea’s latest missiletests and threatened to take "further significant measures"against Pyongyang. North Korea test-fired three ballistic missiles yesterdayas world powers gathered for a G20 meeting in China, withleader Kim Jong-Un hailing the tests as "perfect," and USPresident Barack Obama warning it would only up the pressure. "These launches are in grave violation of the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea’s international obligations and UNSecurity Council resolutions," the 15-member Council said in astatement. It called on North Korea to "refrain from further actions,including nuclear tests, in violation of the relevant SecurityCouncil resolutions and comply fully with its obligationsunder these resolutions." The council said it would "continue to closely monitor thesituation and take further significant measures" if meritedand called on all sides to work to reduce tensions. The document was adopted unanimously, including byPyongyang’s only ally China. Earlier, the envoys from Japan, South Korea and the UnitedStates appeared before the press together to slam NorthKorea’s missile program. "With each test, each violation of UN Security Councilresolutions — and there have been 22 of them so far this year– the DPRK demonstrates further advancement of its ballisticprogram," US envoy Samantha Power said. "The Security Council must remain unequivocal and unitedin its condemnation of these tests." UN resolutions bar North Korea from any use of ballisticmissile technology. Pyongyang has nevertheless conducted a fourth nuclear testand a series of missile tests this year in defiance of UNsanctions, prompting South Korea to announce plans to deploy aUS anti-missile system to counter such threats. North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctionssince it first tested a nuclear device in 2006. Earlier today, Obama held talks with South Koreancounterpart Park Geun-hye on the sidelines of a regionalsummit in Laos. "North Korea needs to know that provocations will onlyinvite more pressure and further deepen its isolation," hetold reporters after meeting Park in Vientiane. Park described the launches as a "reckless provocation(that) will lead North Korea down the path ofself-destruction." But despite the global chorus of disapproval and toughsanctions, Pyongyang is unrepentant — continuing to ignorethe international community’s calls for a halt to its weaponsprogram. (AFP)RB