UNITED NATIONS: The United States asked the UN Security CouncilUN Security Council to meet on Thursday October 4 after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan, but diplomats said China and Russia are opposed to a public discussion by the 15-member body.
Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years and prompting a warning for residents there to take cover.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, posted on Twitter after calling for a public Security Council meeting, and was asked to limit the ability of the DPRK to advance its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs.
Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland joined the United States in making the request. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK is formally known as North Korea, but China and Russia told council counterparts they are opposed to a public meeting, arguing that the reaction of the council should be conducive to easing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, diplomats said.
It was not immediately clear whether the council would meet publicly or behind closed doors on Wednesday. Any meaningful council action is unlikely, diplomats say.
North Korea has been banned from conducting nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the Security Council over the years, which has strengthened sanctions on Pyongyang to try and cut off funding for those programs.
In recent years, veto powers have suggested UN sanctions on North Korea be loosened for humanitarian purposes and to get Pyongyang back to stalled international talks aimed at persuading Kim Jong Un to denuclearise.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned North Korea's missile launch over Japan as a reckless act and a violation of Security Council resolutions, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
It is also of serious concern that the DPRK has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety, said Dujarric, adding that Guterres urged Pyongyang to resume talks with key parties.