Anchor: The United Nations Security Council held a special meeting of its member states and South Korea to discuss evolving North Korean nuclear and missile threats. The foreign ministers at the Security Council agreed to the gravity of the North Korea problem but failed to find common ground on how to solve the issue.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: 

[Sound bite: S. Korean Foreign Minster Yun Byung-se (English)]
"If we do not respond to North Korea's repeated provocations in a resolute manner now, we will only further feed the appetite of the trigger-happy regime in in Pyongyang. In this regard, should North Korea conduct a sixth nuclear test or launch an ICBM, it would be a game changer for all of us."

South Korea's top diplomat Yun Byung-se said it's time to contain North Korea as his U.S. and Japanese counterparts stressed how serious the situation has become. But the council is still divided.

[Sound bite: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson]
"For too long, the international community has been reactive in addressing North Korea. Those days must come to an end. Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences."

At the session held in New York on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson argued that all options for responding to future provocation must remain on the table.

[Sound bite: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson]
"Diplomatic and financial levers of power will be backed up by a willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action if necessary. We much prefer a negotiated solution to this problem. But we are committed to defending ourselves and our allies against North Korean aggression.”

He urged countries to suspend or downgrade diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, specifically asking them to stop inviting North Korean guest workers and impose bans on North Korean coal.

The top U.S. envoy noted China accounted for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade and pressed Beijing to use its leverage over the regime. 

But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wi countered that the blame game won't help to resolve the situation. 

[Sound bite: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Chinese)]
"The point I want to make is that the most urgent task now is to stop the DPRK's nuclear and missile development. To achieve this, it is necessary to put aside the debate over who should take the first step and stop arguing who is right and who is wrong."

While claiming that his country does not hold the key to solve the problem, the Chinese foreign minster stressed that the use of force will only lead to bigger disasters.  

[Sound bite: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Chinese)]
"We must stay committed to the path of dialogue and negotiation. The use of force does not solve differences and will only lead to bigger disasters. As the only way out, dialogue and negotiations also represent the sensible choice for all parties."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned North Korea against further aggravating the situation.

[Sound bite: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres)]
"We need to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding. We need to act now to prevent conflict and achieve sustainable peace."

The UN chief said that North Korea must refrain from further testing and comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions, a request North Korea already rejected in effect with its missile launch Saturday morning.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.

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