North Korea remains defiant despite UN sanctions

 The UN Security Council has imposed new sanctions on North Korea for its rocket launch and warned of “significant action” in the event of a fresh nuclear test, but Pyongyang remained defiant.

The resolution, adopted on Tuesday, said the Council “deplores the violations” by North Korea of its previous resolutions, which had banned Pyongyang from conducting ballistic missile and nuclear tests and from importing materials and technology for its nuclear programmes.

It condemned the launch and imposes “important” new sanctions on North Korea, companies and government agencies, including North Korea’s space agency, which was responsible for the launch, a bank, and North Korean individuals.

The resolution also updates current lists of nuclear and ballistic missile technology banned for transfer to and from North Korea. It said the Council “expresses its determination to take significant action in the event of a further DPRK (North Korean) launch or nuclear test”.

The Council also called on member states to exercise “enhanced vigilance” in preventing the transfer of funds related to the country’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programmes. However, hours after the sanctions were ordered, a defiant Pyongyang said it would carry out a nuclear test and ruled out any talks on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

“We will take physical actions aimed at expanding and strengthening our self-defensive military forces, including nuclear deterrence,” the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

“There will be no dialogue to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean  peninsula,” the North Korean statement said. In Seoul a defiant North Korea condemned the UN sanctions and hinted it might carry out a nuclear test, while ruling out a resumption of talks on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

The foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency: “We flatly reject and condemn the UN Security Council's extremely unfair resolution that attempts to violate our sovereign rights...We will take physical actions aimed at expanding and strengthening our self-defensive military.”