US Ambassador condemns N Korea over rocket launch

The US ambassador in Seoul Sung Kim on Thursday warned North Korea of “consequences” over its successful launch of a long-range rocket as Seoul and Washington face new security fears about Pyongyang’s apparent progress toward a ballistic missile, South Korea’s (Yonhap) News Agency reported. The Wednesday success of North Korea’s Unha-3 rocket, condemned by regional powers as a disguised test of banned ballistic missile technology, is expected to raise the North’s bargaining power in its nuclear and missile diplomacy with Seoul and Washington, analysts said. South Korea and the US “have worked cooperatively and collaboratively to address this threat to regional stability,” US Ambassador said in an article posted on the embassy’s blog. “We are committed to working together to send North Korea an unmistakable message. Violations of UN Security Council Resolutions have consequences,” the ambassador said. “In Seoul, Tokyo, Washington, New York, Beijing, Moscow and elsewhere, we are working with our other partners to insist that North Korea live up to its commitments, adhere to its international obligations,” Kim said. In New York, the UN Security Council unanimously condemned the North’s rocket launch as a “clear violation” of UN resolutions triggered by the North’s previous nuclear and missile tests. South Korean officials have hinted that they would demand the Security Council toughen financial sanctions against North Korea to levels similar to those imposed on Iran, although questions remain whether China would agree on strengthening sanctions against North Korea.