S. Korean FM embarks on trip to push for N.K. sanctions

South Korea‘s foreign minister on Tuesday embarked on a five-day trip to the headquarters of the United Nations and Germany to drum up international support to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test and missile launch.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plans to make a two-day visit to the U.N. headquarters in New York to ask the U.N. Security Council to slap stronger and more effective sanctions on North Korea.

The U.N. Security Council is working on a fresh resolution for sanctions against North Korea following its nuclear test on Jan. 6.

It strongly condemned North Korea’s long-range rocket launch Sunday, vowing to “expeditiously adopt a new resolution” with significant measures.

Yun will also meet with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appeal for cooperation for the U.N. Security Council resolution to come out as early as possible, his office said.

Progress over an adoption of the resolution has been slow mainly because China and Russia, two veto-wielding permanent members to the Security Council have been lukewarm about more stringent sanctions against the North.

After wrapping up the U.S. trip, South Korea‘s top diplomat will fly to Germany to attend a global forum on security in Munich, the ministry said.

At the Munich Security Conference to be held from Thursday until Saturday, Yun plans to seek cooperation for tougher sanctions against North Korea.

Yun will have talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, European foreign ministers to the U.N. Security Council and other top diplomats, it added.