S. Korea, U.S., Japan eye new U.N. resolution against N. Korea: official

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have agreed to push
for a new U.N. Security Council resolution against North Korea if it goes ahead
with its planned rocket launch, a senior South Korean government official said
Thursday.
But whether such a resolution will be adopted at the 15-member council is
uncertain, as two of the standing members -- China and Russia -- may oppose it.
"If North Korea fires a rocket, Japan, a non-standing member of the Security
Council, plans to push for a new resolution. South Korea supports it," the
official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "As far as I know, the U.S. is
not opposed to the plan."
His comments came after the latest summit between South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso in London on Wednesday. Lee was to
hold his first summit talks with U.S. President Barack Obama there later Thursday
on the sidelines of the G-20 economic forum, with North Korea's launch high on
agenda.
North Korea has informed international aviation and maritime agencies it plans to
fire the rocket between April 4 and 8, saying it will put a satellite into orbit.
Its regional neighbors and the United States suspect that is a cover for testing
its ballistic missile technology.
Last week, the top nuclear envoys from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met in
Washington to coordinate their response to the launch.
Seoul's envoy, Wi Sung-lac, also held separate meetings with senior U.S.
officials, including Jeffrey Bader, senior director for Asian affairs on the U.S.
National Security Council.
Also Thursday, CNN reported North Korea had begun fueling its three-stage rocket
at a base in the country's northeast, quoting a U.S. military official.
Seoul Foreign Ministry officials refused to directly confirm the report, saying
only that it seemed logical that the North would begin fueling now if it planned
to launch the rocket within the announced dates.
The North's military said later in the day it would respond militarily and
"without hesitation" to any attempt to intercept the rocket.
The South Korean official said it is hard to predict what the contents of the new
resolution might be as it would be subject to discussion among the council's
member countries.
North Korea made a failed test of its long-range Taepodong-2 missile in July
2006, following which the council responded with Resolution 1695. Watered down
from Japan's original proposal for strong action, the resolution only denounced
the North's launch.
After its nuclear test three months later, however, the council unanimously
endorsed Resolution 1718, calling for sanctions against Pyongyang. The binding
resolution obliges the North to abandon all ballistic missile activity.
This time, the North's two main allies -- China and Russia -- are cautious about
sanctioning the North for the rocket launch.
Russia has informed South Korea and other nations that it is against any Security
Council-level punishment if the North's rocket is confirmed to be carrying a
satellite, diplomatic sources here said.
China is standing back to see what will happen, reiterating its earlier statement
calling for a calm reaction to the launch.
"The U.N. Security Council members are in consultations on various ideas," the
official said. "Even if we pursue a new resolution, it is too early to predict
the contents."
lcd@yna.co.kr
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