U.N. expands sanctions on N. Korea for rocket launch

The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution against North Korea Tuesday, condemning its December rocket launch and expanding sanctions.

The 15-member council voted unanimously to approve the 20-point resolution, a compromise that ended a month-long tug-of-war, mainly between the United States and China.

The binding resolution calls for freezing the assets of six more North Korean entities, including the Korean Committee for Space Technology and the Bank of East Land, and a travel ban on four additional officials.

The council "demands that the DPRK not proceed with any further launches using ballistic missile technology," according to the resolution. DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

It also warned of "significant action" in the event of a further launch or nuclear test by North Korea.

A wide web of bilateral and multilateral sanctions is already in place against North Korea. The council introduced two strongly worded resolutions, 1718 and 1874, after Pyongyang's nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, respectively.

"The new resolution broadens sanctions and further clarifies the contents of the two existing ones," a U.N. diplomat said.

It remains uncertain whether South Korea, the U.S., Japan and other nations will take steps towards additional bilateral sanctions on North Korea.

It marks the first time since 2006 that the council has introduced a resolution against North Korea for a rocket launch.

For two previous launches, the council issued non-binding presidential statements denouncing the acts.

The South Korean government immediately hailed the U.N. move.

"The government welcomes the adoption of Resolution 2087 strengthening sanctions on North Korea for its long-range rocket launch in December 2012," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young said in a statement.

He urged Pyongyang to abide by the resolution by halting all of its nuclear and missile programs.

"North Korea will have to take note of (the U.N. council's) declaration that it will take significant action in case of additional provocations," Cho said. (Yonhap News)