U.N. issues warning to North Korea over latest missile test

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council is strongly condemning North Korea’s ballistic missile launches and warning of “further significant measures” if Pyongyang doesn’t stop nuclear and missile testing.

A council statement late Monday followed a strong condemnation by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the latest launch and a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to deal with North Korea “very strongly.”

The Security Council condemned the Saturday launch and a previous launch Oct. 19, saying North Korea’s activities to develop its nuclear weapons delivery systems violate U.N. sanctions resolutions and increase tensions.

It called on all U.N. members to implement the six sanctions resolutions adopted by the council since 2006.

North Korea has repeatedly flouted six Security Council resolutions demanding an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities and has continued to launch missiles, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

The missile test, conducted early Sunday, is seen as an implicit challenge to Trump, who has vowed a tough line on North Korea but has yet to release a strategy for dealing with a country whose nuclear ambitions have bedeviled U.S. leaders for decades.

“North Korea is a big, big problem and we will deal with that ver y st rongly,” Trump said at a joint news conference Monday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Guterres called the launch “a further troubling violation of Security Council resolutions” and urged North Korea to comply with its international obligations, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

“The secretary- general appeals to the international community to continue to address this situation in a united manner,” Haq said.

South Korea condemned what it called “serious military and security threats” and predicted more such tests. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo -ahn, who i s also the acting president, said his country would punish North Korea for the missile launch.

The United States, Japan and South Korea requested the urgent Security Council meeting, which was scheduled to take place behind closed doors later Monday.

In previous Security Council actions on North Korea, the United States and China, a neighbor and ally of Pyongyang, have been the key negotiators.

After previous balli stic missile tests, the Securit y Council has issued a strong condemnation, called for redoubled efforts to fully implement sanctions, and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability.

North Korea already has a variety of land-based missiles that can hit South Korea and Japan, including U.S. military bases in those countries. It has also successfully tested a submarine-launched missile and development of such missiles would add a weapon that is harder to detect before launch.

North Korea’s Central News Agency said the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, was at the launch to observe Sunday’s test and expressed pleasure at the North’s expansion of its strategic strike capabilities.