(3rd LD) Security Council approves sanctions on N. Korea for nuke test

(ATTN: ADDS Rice's remarks in paras 13-14)
NEW YORK, June 12 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations Security Council Friday approved
a resolution seeking further financial sanctions and an overall arms embargo on
North Korea for its recent nuclear test.
The 15-nation council unanimously passed without amendment the U.S.-written draft
resolution banning North Korea from conducting further nuclear and ballistic
missile tests.
The adoption comes amid reports that North Korea is preparing to test another
nuclear device.
The resolution comes nearly three weeks after North Korea detonated a nuclear
device on May 25, almost three years after its first nuclear blast in October
2006.
A breakthrough was made in the time-consuming negotiations among the so-called
P-5 plus two -- the five veto-wielding powers of the council, plus South Korea
and Japan -- on Tuesday as China accepted the U.S.-written resolution following
the decision by the U.S. to change the word "decide" to "call on" in the
provisions of the draft.
Critics say China may be lukewarm to implementing the provisions for financial
sanctions, cargo inspections and arms embargo, interpreting "call on" as not
legally binding.
Speaking at the council meeting, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui urged North Korea
to "honor its commitment to denuclearization, stop any moves that may further
worsen the situation and return to the six-party talks."
Zhang, however, said, "Under no circumstance should there be the use of force or
the threat of use of force" in implementation of the cargo inspection and other
sanctions.
The resolution calls on member states to escort any suspicious North Korean cargo
ships to nearby ports for mandatory inspections in case the ships resist
inspections on the high seas.
However, it is implemented under Chapter VII, Article 41 of the U.N. Charter,
which excludes the use of force, thereby lacking the authority for mandatory
enforcement, just as in the case of Resolution 1718 and others adopted after
North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile tests in the past that have largely
been disregarded by China.
China has demanded any inspections be made within the framework of existing
international law, which prohibits cargo interdictions in international waters
unless approved by the country of the flag carried by the vessel.
Susan Rice, the permanent U.S. representative to the U.N., told a daily White
House briefing that she was "very pleased" that the Security Council "passed
unanimously a brand-new resolution imposing tough, new, meaningful sanctions on
North Korea," which she described as "unprecedented" and "innovative" to "cause
the sanctions regime on North Korea to be strengthened."
She did not preclude the possibility of North Korea reacting angrily.
"There's reason to believe that they may respond in an irresponsible fashion to
this," she said. "We're not going to jump to their drummer; we're going to
implement this sanctions regime to the fullest possible extent, along with
others."
South Korea's U.N. ambassador, Park In-kuk, thanked the 15-member council for
"showing its concerted and resolute will to check North Korea's nuclear
development and proliferation," adding, "We are determined to cooperate with the
international community to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and achieve
peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
Deputy U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said, "North Korea will be
facing a sanctions regime unlike any other on Earth. We will implement those
sanctions aggressively."
The spokesman said the resolution will "go after one of our primary concerns,
since North Korea is a serial proliferator" of weapons technology.
"We're going to continue to look and see how we can tighten, you know, financial
sanctions that affect the regime in particular," he said. "But you know, these
are carefully tailored. I think there will be more details coming out during the
course of the afternoon."
The 34-point resolution calls for an overall arms embargo on North Korea except
for light weapons or small arms, and imposes financial sanctions to prevent the
flow of funds that could benefit North Korea's missile, nuclear or any other
proliferation activities.
U.N. member states are also advised to reduce or refrain from providing any
further financial aid to North Korea unless the aid is related to humanitarian
activity.
The enhanced financial sanctions by the U.N. come as Washington considers
pursuing its own financial sanctions against North Korea.
Washington slapped financial sanctions on a Macau bank in 2005 to freeze US$25
million worth of North Korean assets, effectively cutting off Pyongyang's access
to the international financial system. Banco Delta Asia had been accused of
helping North Korea launder money from circulating sophisticated counterfeit
US$100 bills called "supernotes."
Crowley urged North Korea to return to the six-party talks. "The door is still
open to negotiations, and we hope that North Korea will at some point in the
future come back to that process."
He was echoing remarks by Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North
Korea policy, who said Thursday, "We remain willing to engage North Korea to
resolve our differences through diplomacy, including bilaterally, within the
framework of the six-party process."
Bosworth said that the Obama administration "will not accept North Korea as a
nuclear weapons state," but added, "The U.S. has no hostile intent towards the
people of North Korea. Nor are we threatening to change the North Korean regime
through force."
It is not clear whether the sanctions will deter the North from further
provocations, with some saying Pyongyang will eventually return to bilateral or
multilateral negotiations and others voicing pessimism about Pyongyang's
willingness to abandon its nuclear arsenal.
North Korea's recent provocations, including nuclear and missile tests, are
widely seen as an attempt by ailing leader Kim Jong-il to help his son Jong-un
consolidate power.
"We know there are questions of succession in North Korea, given the questionable
health of Kim Jong-il," Crowley said. "As far as we know, Kim Jong-il is still
the leader of North Korea. I believe he is in firm control of the country. What
happens down the road, we don't know. That is up to North Korea."
China plays a key role, as North Korea is heavily dependent on its communist
neighbor for energy, food and other necessities. Beijing demanded any sanctions
be conducive to coaxing the reclusive North to return to the multilateral nuclear
disarmament talks.
China is the key to the implementation of any resolution, as North Korea is
heavily dependent on its communist neighbor for energy, food and other
necessities.
"Nothing has changed," said Walter Lohman, director of The Heritage Foundation's
Asian Studies Center. "The game is still about enforcement. Like the others, it
will be ignored."
Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, said, "China
fears pushing too hard, as this might either forfeit all Chinese influence or
cause a collapse of the regime. Pyongyang will not allow China to dictate
policies that undermine the regime's perceived vital interests."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)