Security Council Agreement on New Sanctions Against North Korea

On Friday, September 9, members of the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's new nuclear test and agreed to impose new sanctions against Pyongyang. According to AFP, the members of the Security Council agreed in this closed session to begin drafting a resolution regarding new sanctions against North Korea. The International Atomic Energy Agency also strongly criticized North Korea's new nuclear test. Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the IAEA, described Pyongyang's action as a "clear violation of several UN Security Council resolutions" and "disregard for the repeated demands of the international community." The latest nuclear test by North Korea, assessed as the "strongest" test by the country in this regard, drew reactions from several world leaders. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, warned North Korea that its actions would have "serious consequences" for the country. Ashton Carter, the US Secretary of Defense, also described North Korea's latest nuclear test as "provocative and destabilizing" and stated that the international community must increase pressure on the North Korean regime to halt its nuclear programs. The US Secretary of Defense also added that the Chinese government "has an important responsibility in this process" and must help stop North Korea's nuclear programs. François Hollande, the President of France, also stated that North Korea must face the consequences of its actions. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said, "It is still too early to say that the six-party talks are not yielding results; we must look for ways to resume negotiations." On the other hand, China's Foreign Ministry, in an official statement released for this purpose, stated: "We strongly urge the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to adhere to its nuclear commitments, respect the Security Council resolutions in this regard, and refrain from any actions that worsen the situation." Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan, condemned this test and called it "unacceptable." Park Geun-hye, the President of South Korea, also stated that North Korea's "provocations" would lead to increased sanctions, "further isolation and self-destruction" of North Korea. At the same time, dozens of protesters in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, demonstrated on Friday in protest against the new nuclear test in North Korea. Global negotiations with Pyongyang and the imposition of international sanctions against North Korea have so far failed to stop the country's nuclear tests. North Korea announced on Friday, September 9, that it had successfully conducted its fifth nuclear test with military functionality. According to North Korean state television, this test involved a nuclear explosion on a newly produced nuclear warhead and took place at the country's northern nuclear center. The magnitude of this nuclear explosion is estimated to be two-thirds of the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. South Korea stated that it is "highly likely" that Pyongyang conducted the "military-functioning new nuclear test" due to the upcoming 68th anniversary of the establishment of its government. The occurrence of this new nuclear test by North Korea was not entirely unexpected. South Korean officials had suggested in April that Pyongyang would soon conduct a new nuclear test and emphasized that they were in "full readiness." Pyongyang also conducted its fourth military nuclear test in January 2016, which was a hydrogen bomb. This led to a reaction from the UN Security Council, the approval of international sanctions, and separate sanctions from other countries against North Korea. The number of international sanctions against North Korea has reached five since it conducted its first test in 2006. Especially since Kim Jong-un came to power, Pyongyang has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests, which, according to world leaders, violate UN Security Council resolutions.