UN Security Council Members Agree on New Actions Against North Korea

China and other members of the United Nations Security Council have strongly condemned North Korea's recent military nuclear test and have agreed to take new actions against Pyongyang. The agreement among Security Council members on January 6 comes as American officials say they are still unable to definitively confirm what North Korea has called a 'successful' hydrogen bomb test. Nevertheless, North Korea's new actions have not prevented China, the closest country to Pyongyang, from blocking new retaliatory measures at this time. Fifteen Security Council members have agreed to begin drafting a new resolution and 'significant new measures.' According to reports, diplomats at the United Nations have also confirmed that discussions and negotiations on this matter are ongoing. North Korea conducted its first nuclear military test in 2006, which led to new sanctions against the country. North Korea has conducted two more tests in the intervening years, in 2009 and 2013. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has called on Pyongyang to cease its new nuclear activities. North Korea is a highly isolated country with limited relations with the outside world. At the same time, it is dependent on foreign aid for food and basic needs of its citizens. There are also major concerns regarding unprecedented famine in the country in the last century.