FM calls for toughest U.N. sanctions exceeding Pyongyang's expectations

NEW YORK, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Wednesday that the U.N. Security Council should adopt the toughest possible sanctions resolution on North Korea that goes well beyond Pyongyang's expectations. Yun made the remark during a visit to New York aimed at drumming up international support for stronger sanctions on Pyongyang, stressing the North's four nuclear tests and six long-range missile launches over the past decade represent a direct violation of U.N. resolutions and disrespect for the Security Council. "The strong and comprehensive measures that the Security Council should take should be markedly different from the responses to the first, second and third nuclear tests," Yun said during a briefing to South Korean correspondents. "Just as repeated wrong behavior gets additional punishment, very large prices should be paid for habitual violations of Security Council resolutions." Yun stressed that the upcoming resolution should be the "final" resolution. "There shouldn't be a situation where a resolution is adopted about the fourth nuclear test, and a fifth resolution" is adopted in the future after another nuclear test, Yun said. During a two-day visit to New York, Yun held meetings with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and ambassadors of the 15 member nations of the Security Council to convey South Korea's position on sanctions on the North. Yun said that most of them appeared to agree that a North Korea resolution should be adopted at an early date with strong content. The minister also stressed that unilateral sanctions are also important in addition to U.N. sanctions. "Besides the Security Council resolution, many countries are implementing sanctions and pressure measures bilaterally," Yun said. Meanwhile, a senior South Korean official said that many countries share an understanding that it's time to block sources of money used for the North's nuclear and missile programs. (END)