Roundup: UN resolution on DPRK's rocket launch draws int'l reactions

BEIJING, Jan 22, 2013 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The UN Security Council's unanimous adoption of a resolution to condemn a rocket launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in December and to tighten existing sanctions has drawn international reactions.

Hours after the approval of the resolution on Tuesday, the DPRK threatened to end efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

The six-party talks and the Sept. 19 joint statement of 2005 were rendered null and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was put to an end, the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official news agency KCNA.

There will be no more discussions on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in the future, but the country is open to talks on peace and security, reads the statement.

The DPRK also vowed to "take physical actions to strengthen self-defense military capabilities including nuclear deterrence." Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday welcomed the fresh resolution, saying that "dialogue is the only way to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as well as durable peace in the region.

"Speaking with one voice, the Security Council reiterated its firm stance that the DPRK's pursuit of nuclear weapons, including means of delivery, is unacceptable," said Ban in a statement through his spokesman.

Earlier in the day, the 15-member Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution to require the DPRK to comply with all relevant resolutions which bar it from any launch involving ballistic missile technology.

It also reiterated the need to seek a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution and resume the six-party talks, which have stalled since 2008.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations Li Baodong said the resolution is an outcome of many rounds of consultations by all parties concerned and is "generally balanced." "The resolution ... not only shows the stance of the international community on the DPRK's satellite launch, but also delivers some positive information, including calls for a peaceful solution to the (Korean) Peninsula issue through dialogue and negotiation as well as the resumption of the six-party talks," Li said.

Li added that China holds a "clear and consistent" stance on DPRK's launch, and that the Security Council's response should be "prudent and moderate," be conducive to peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, and help avoid the progressive escalation of tensions.

After the sanctions were passed, U.S. ambassador Susan Rice said the resolution was a sign that the DPRK will have "an increasingly steep price" to pay if it chooses confrontation with the international community.

On Dec. 12, the DPRK confirmed that it had successfully put an earth observation satellite into orbit with a rocket launch.

The DPRK defended its right to launch a satellite for peaceful and scientific purposes, while other countries, including the United States, South Korea and Japan, saw the launch as a disguised attempt of Pyongyang to test its ballistic missile capabilities.

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