North Korea launched two more test missiles on Tuesday, leading to another wave of worldwide condemnation after Sunday's nuclear test. All eyes are now on the United Nations Security Council, which has been urged to take strong measures. However, the question is whether the North Koreans will be impressed, since the country is notorious for ignoring earlier UN sanctions and resolutions.

by Reinout van Wagtendonk

North Korea's violations have clearly angered the members of the Security Council. It took the body less than an hour on Monday to unanimously condemn the country's latest action.

Russia, which is acting as this month's president of the council, warned that it won't stop here. "The members have decided to start work immediately on a resolution on this matter," Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said after the council's meeting.  

'Strong response'

He added that North Korea's nuclear test should lead to a "strong response" from the international community. His counterpart from the United States, Susan Rice, agreed:

"The US thinks that is a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional and international peace and security. And therefore the United States will seek a strong resolution with strong measures".

Sanctions
France's UN ambassador Jean Pierre Lacroix went even further, saying that those 'strong measures' should mean 'strong sanctions'. North Korea has to pay the price for its behaviour, Mr Lacroix said:

"The French national position is that this resolution should include new sanctions, in addition to those already adopted by the Security Council, because this behaviour must have a cost and a price to pay..."

But the question remains whether a new resolution with new sanctions will really bring any change, something the previous resolutions and sanctions haven't really achieved either. The North Korean regime doesn't seem to be impressed by the international demands. This angers most Security Council members, including Japan, whose ambassador Yukio Takasu said the UN's prestige is at stake:

"It is an extremely serious threat to the authority and prestige of the Security Council. What is the real meaning of the Security Council passing a resolution if countries don't take it seriously?"

Obama's prestige

It's also the prestige of US President Barack Obama that's at stake. North Korea's latest acts provide him with the first acute international crisis he has had to face.

In the Security Council the US stressed that the international community is united in its response to North Korea. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held extensive talks with their colleagues worldwide, but their spokespersons rushed to dampen any hopes that this matter will be resolved soon.

They in fact pointed out that Mr Obama's predecessors, Presidents Bush and Clinton, hadn't managed to find a magic formula to get a firm grip on North Korea either.