UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on North Korea

September 4, 2017

NEW YORK- The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss a response to North Korea's nuclear test, diplomats said Sunday.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (2 p.m. GMT) in the open. Japan, the United States, Britain, France, and South Korea requested the meeting after North Korea on Sunday claimed a successful test of a hydrogen bomb.

Japan and the United States are expected to press for a powerful Security Council sanctions resolution on North Korea. The focus is on a response from China and Russia, which place importance on dialogue with Pyongyang.

The emergency meeting is designed for member countries to express their positions on North Korea. Actual talks on sanctions will take place behind the scenes.

Possible measures that may be discussed include restrictions on oil exports to North Korea, a ban on textile exports from the country and tighter restrictions on North Korean workers abroad.

China and Russia are expected to eventually agree on tighter sanctions on North Korea. But it is uncertain whether they allow powerful measures.

China has opposed curbs on oil exports to North Korea. Russia is believed to accept many workers from North Korea.

The Security Council has adopted eight sanctions resolutions on North Korea. Some are expressing doubts that the sanctions are working. At the emergency meeting, members of the Security Council are expected to reiterate their call for fully implementing the existing sanctions. Jiji Press