Japan wants fresh UN sanctions against North Korea

TIL Desk/World/United Nations-Japan pushed the UN Security Council today to consider fresh sanctions against North Korea for test-firing a series of ballistic missiles that it said were a threat to the region and the entire world. The council strongly condemned the series of launches on Friday and agreed in a unanimous statement backed by China to take “further significant measures.”

“The number of provocative actions taken by North Korea has been phenomenal,” said Japanese Ambassador Kero Bessho following a closed-door meeting of the council. Bessho stressed that the high number of launches had led to “quite noteworthy” advances in North Korea’s nuclear and missile technology programs. “This presents a serious threat to the region and the world as a whole,” he told.

North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006. The council in March adopted the toughest sanctions resolution to date targeting North Korea’s trade in minerals and tightening banking restrictions, after Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test. Bessho noted that 52 countries had so far presented reports detailing how they are enforcing the new raft of sanctions under resolution 2270, but added that more sanctions were necessary. “For Japan, we feel that sanctions are necessary,” he said.