Foreign minister wants new sanctions if North does nuke test

Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks to reporters at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

South Korea will push for new United Nations Security Council sanctions with the United States if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, Seoul’s top diplomat said Tuesday in Washington.

Foreign Minister Park Jin said he and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also agreed on the importance of maintaining and strengthening U.S. extended deterrence to South Korea during their first in-person talks.

“We agreed that dealing with North Korea is the top policy priority for both South Korea and the United States in the current situation, where speculation about a seventh nuclear test and its use of tactical nuclear weapons is rising,” Park said in the meeting with reporters.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests, the last in 2017.

The most recent U.S. proposal at the Security Council for fresh sanctions against Pyongyang for conducting ballistic missile tests in defiance of past resolutions was vetoed on May 26 by China and Russia, who blamed the United States for not engaging in dialogue with the North.

The two countries were the only ones in the 15-member council to reject the U.S. proposal.

Officials in the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden have repeatedly said that the country is open to dialogue with North Korea at any time and place without preconditions.

Seoul is also mulling its own sanctions, coordinated with the United States and other countries, should Pyongyang push ahead with a nuclear test, according to a high-ranking government official who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo on condition of anonymity.

“We are currently examining several ways to pursue unilateral sanctions against the North [in the event of a nuclear test],” the official said.

The official also expressed his belief that a major provocation by the North, such a nuclear test, would provide the impetus for further international sanctions against the regime.

“If North Korea commits further provocations, including a nuclear test, China and Russia will not have many excuses to oppose a [Security Council] resolution.”

The two countries were forced to defend their vetoes at a landmark General Assembly session on June 8 under an Assembly rule, adopted on April 26, that established a standing mandate for a debate of the 193-member organ when a veto is cast in the Council by one or more of its permanent members.
“We regret that the [U.S.-backed] resolution was not passed by the Security Council due to opposition from China and Russia,” the official said, while adding that Seoul needs to up its diplomatic efforts vis-à-vis the United Nations.

“The General Assembly is a forum that reflects all positions from around the world, so we need to strengthen our diplomatic efforts there.”

According to the official, Blinken told Park during their talks that it was necessary to get the support of China and Russia to rein in the North’s weapons tests.

The South Korean foreign minister told his U.S. counterpart that China could play a constructive role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, and that Washington should “communicate strategically” with Beijing to exert influence over Pyongyang.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]