U.S calls for UNSC vote on North Korea sanctions

The United States has called on the United Nations Security Council to vote on Monday on a draft resolution for imposing new sanctions against North Korea that would include freezing the assets of leader Kim Jong Un over its sixth and powerful nuclear test.

"This evening, the United States informed the UN Security Council that it intends to call a meeting to vote on a draft resolution to establish additional sanctions on North Korea on Monday," the U.S. Mission to the United Nations said in a statement.

The draft resolution includes a full ban on exports of oil to North Korea, a full ban on textile imports from North Korea, a ban on North Korean labourers generating earnings overseas, and the asset freeze, which will also target members of the ruling worker's party, the diplomat said, calling it a "hard-hitting, ambitious resolution," CNN reported.

 

North Korean ally China and neighboring Russia hold veto power on the Security Council. A draft resolution needs nine affirmative votes from members of the Council and zero vetoes from permanent members in order to pass.

The International community condemned North Korea for testing the hydrogen bomb on August 27, marking the sixth time the isolated state has tested a nuclear weapon.

The major powers than convened an emergency session of the security council where U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley argued forcefully for harsher sanctions, saying, "enough is enough," and that Kim was "begging for war."

"We have taken an incremental approach, and despite the best of intentions, it has not worked," Haley said. "War is never something the Unites States wants -- we don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory."

Moreover, South Korea Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said that North Korean leader is likely to launch another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "on September 9."

"The situation is very grave. It doesn't seem much time is left before North Korea achieves its complete nuclear armament," the prime minister told a meeting of defense ministers in Seoul Thursday.

"A special measure is urgently needed to stop their recklessness.