Anchor: North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile launch on Monday morning prompted the UN Security Council to convene on Tuesday in New York. In a disappointing but expected outcome, the body failed to reach a consensus on an approach to the North in the face of obstructionism by China and Russia.
Kim Bum-soo summarizes the meeting.

Report: The UN Security Council remains divided on ways to deal with North Korea, which fired another intercontinental ballistic missile earlier this week.

In the Council meeting convened at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, the U.S. called for action in the face of opposition from Russia and China.

[Sound bite: Amb. Robert Wood – US Mission to the United Nations]
“We are grateful that most of this Council has condemned the DPRK’s mounting threat to international peace and security. Most of this Council is committed to upholding the resolutions we adopted. Most of this Council does share the same goal of denuclearization. Now it is on Russia and China to join us to act as if their credibility as responsible Permanent Members depends on them.”

The North’s latest launch of a Hwasong-18 was the fifth ICBM test this year. Firing the missile in a high-degree angle, it was again made clear that its weapon could reach all the way to the U.S. mainland if fired with a proper trajectory.

China, for its part, blamed the U.S., saying that Pyongyang is under military pressure from Washington.

[Sound bite: Amb. Geng Shuang - Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations]
“A certain country should face up to the crux of the Peninsula issue, discard the myth of exerting military pressure, put forward concrete, feasible plans for dialogue and turn its remarks about unconditional dialogue into reality. Through practical actions, it can help advance the process of finding a political solution to the Peninsula issue and thus safeguard peace and stability on the peninsula.”

North Korea's envoy to the UN, Kim Song, at the meeting warned that the U.S. and its allies will face consequences if they continue military cooperation against his country.

Seoul’s Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook, in turn, raised concerns over the continued inaction of the UNSC on North Korea.

After the meeting, South Korea, the U.S., Japan and Britain issued a joint statement most strongly condemning the North’s ICBM launch and other past ballistic missile provocations.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.