Obama, Abe, Park back United Nations resolution on N.Korea

The leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea staged a united front against North Korea on Tuesday, calling for a strong new U.N. Security Council resolution over Pyongyang’s rocket launch Sunday and nuclear test last month.

The UN Security Council condemned the launch in an emergency meeting on late Sunday, and vowed to take “significant measures” in response to Pyongyang’s violations of UN resolutions.

“It’s clear to me that our Chinese friends have indicated that the UN Security Council’s response will include sanctions and does need to go beyond previous resolutions”, he said.

A statement said a new Earth observation satellite, Kwangmyongsong-4, had successfully been put into orbit less than 10 minutes after lift-off from the Sohae space centre in North Phyongan province.

White House national security advisor Susan Rice in a statement said: “North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programmes represent serious threats to our interests, including the security of some of our closest allies, and undermine peace and security in the broader region”.

Widespread condemnation was swift, with the United States calling the launch “destabilizing and provocative”, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed it as “absolutely intolerable”.

United Nations resolutions forbid North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology.

While China summoned North Korea’s ambassador to protest Pyongyang’s satellite launch on Sunday, it also summoned the South Korean ambassador to protest THAAD’s deployment.

Action for which North Korea is now taking heat internationally because many nations’ leaders believe it might kick off a buildup of USA missile defense systems in Asia, officials said.

The sanctions ban its work in nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, blacklist a number of individuals and entities and bar the country’s leadership from importing luxury goods.

Missile experts said the THAAD system is regarded as an effective defense against short- and medium-range missiles, meaning it could protect South Korea from attack but would be of little use against long-range strikes, such as a missile aimed at the United States. “We’re committed to the security of South Korea and that is exactly what this technology is meant to address, which is the threat that emanates from North Korea”.

The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that it will start formal talks with Seoul on placing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) on the North Korea’s doorstep, AFP reported.