NEW YORK, Jan. 6 (UPI) — The United Nations Security Council promised to work toward new measures against North Korea after condemning Pyongyang’s announcement of a hydrogen bomb test Wednesday. But the council’s statement neither guaranteed nor ruled out further sanctions.
The statement issued after an emergency session said, “The members of the Security Council strongly condemned this test, which is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087, and 2094 and of the non-proliferation regime, and therefore a clear threat to international peace and security continues to exist.”
All resolutions were passed between 2006 and 2013.
Uruguay’s Ambassador to the U.N. Elbio Rosselli, who serves as the council’s president, said, “The members recalled that they have previously expressed their determination to take further significant measures in the event of another [North Korea] nuclear test,” adding, “In line with this commitment and the gravity of this violation, [they] will begin to work immediately on such measures in a new Security Council resolution.”
The test conducted on Wednesday would be North Korea’s fourth nuclear test since 2006, and its first test of a hydrogen bomb, if confirmed.
But skepticism prevailed in Seoul and Washington Wednesday over whether Pyongyang had actually tested an H-bomb.
Seoul’s spy agency had told South Korea press the magnitude of the seismic activity was too weak. North Korea’s most recent test emitted about 6.0 kilotons of nuclear power, well below the estimated 7.9 kilotons of power that was emitted during North Korea’s third test in 2013.
Others said China’s condemnation of the test was encouraging and was a signal of Beijing’s willingness to cooperate on a tough resolution.
The United States is seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions.
